Pak must keep its word, says Natwar

With four infiltration attempts reported from across the Line of Control (LoC) in the first week of November, Foreign Minister Natwar Singh today reminded Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf of his promise to end cross-border terrorist movement.

The Pak President had announced on January 6 this year that cross-border activities would cease and terrorist movement would end.

Singh said India wanted to carry forward the dialogue process with Pakistan but reminded President Musharraf that he needed to keep his side of the promise, made before TV cameras to the whole world.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the second International Law Conference, Singh said there had been "several interactions" with Pakistan on the issue since a "lot of interests" were involved.

India, he said, was keen to take the talks forward when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met Pakistani leaders, including President Musharraf, in Dhaka during the Saarc summit in January next year. However, there would be no set agenda for the talks on that occasion.

Before the summit, Singh will meet Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on November 23 as Pakistan is the current chairman of Saarc.

Natwar Singh's statement is significant in the context of more conciliatory measures in Jammu and Kashmir on the eve of the Prime Minister's visit to Srinagar.