Will Egypt possibly set the stage for a thaw between India and Pakistan? After a 90-minute meeting between the two foreign secretaries, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna says this time the acrimony from the Pakistan side has been less than before.
Amidst reports that the two prime ministers could make a joint media appearance on Thursday, Krishna said India might have to accept that the trial of Hafiz Saeed is an internal legal matter of Pakistan.
But some key differences remain unresolved. Sources say Pakistan is pushing for the composite dialogue process to be resumed whereas India is keener on a more specific terrorism-only agenda for now.
Another area of friction in the talks, sources say, has been the issue of the Samjhauta Express blast in which 60 Pakistani citizens were killed. Speaking to NDTV, Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir said it accepted that the Samjhauta case was being investigated by Indians' own legal system but indicated that India should do the same on Lashkar chief Hafiz Saeed.
India has said Pakistan must arrest the Lashkar chief if it's a decent civilised society.
Saeed is accused of masterminding the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks last year.
The Punjab government in Pakistan on Tuesday informed the country's Supreme Court that it wanted to withdraw its petition challenging a lower court's order that released Saeed from detention, saying it did not have adequate evidence against him.
