India tells Pakistan to make ‘some beginning’ on concerns

India has asserted that there has to be “at least some beginning” by Pakistan in addressing its serious concerns including terror infrastructure, a day after Pakistan said a response was awaited from Indian side on a possible meeting between their Prime Ministers in the US.

Both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif are travelling to New York to attend 68th session of UN General Assembly next week.

“We have serious concerns on many things that we have conveyed to Pakistan over a period of time. We need some satisfaction. We need some deliveries. We need some indications that there is seriousness on the items that we have indicated to them.”

“Dismantling of terror infrastructure is a critical point. Accountability for what happened in Mumbai is another critical point. At least some beginning has to be made,” External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said when asked whether there would be a meeting between Singh and Sharif on the margins of the UNGA.

However, Khurshid said a final decision on the meeting would be taken by the prime minister.

Noting that there was no decision yet on the meeting between the two prime ministers, Pakistan diplomatic sources in Islamabad on Thursday said they were yet to hear from India, insisting Islamabad was very keen to have such a meeting.

Asked about the possible meeting, Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman Aizaz Chaudhry said: “The two governments are in touch with each other on the matter. We will confirm the meeting after a decision has been made.”