PM, Zardari meet today; terror on top of the agenda

Yekaterinburg (Russia): In the first top-level meeting between India and Pakistan since the Mumbai terror attacks in November last year, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday and convey New Delhi's "unhappiness" over Islamabad's inaction against terrorism.

Singh, who arrived in Russia on a three-day visit to attend two multilateral summits, will also make it clear that New Delhi expects concrete steps by Pakistan to dismantle terror infrastructure on its soil, sources said.

During the meeting with Zardari on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, Singh will particularly convey India's disappointment over the release of the Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed who is a prime accused in the Mumbai terror attacks, sources said.

The meeting has been sought by Pakistan when its High Commissioner in New Delhi Shahid Malik had met Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon last week. It is believed that India agreed to it as Pakistan is its neighbour and the two countries have to live together even though there are issues and problems between them, sources said.

Sources also said that terrorism was the core issue for India and till this is addressed, relations with Pakistan cannot become normal.

It has been pointed out that Pakistan is aware of India's expectation, which is concrete action to dismantle terror infrastructure and particularly against those responsible for Mumbai attacks.

New Delhi notes that the India-Pak relations are under stress and the bilateral dialogue is on hold because of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, sources added.

Singh will emphasise India's expectations about Pakistan cracking down on terror, the sources said.

The Government does not want the meeting between Singh and Zardari to be seen in the context of composite dialogue, which remains suspended as India is not satisfied with Pakistan's action against terrorism so far.

Singh and Zardari had last met in New York in September 2008 on the sidelines of UN General Assembly.