Composite talks not on India's agenda: Krishna

NEW DELHI (Agencies) India on Wednesday made it clear that the upcoming India-Pakistan Foreign Secretary-level talks on February 25 would not resume the composite dialogue, but would instead focus on terrorism.
The composite dialogue would not be held until Pakistan addressed the issues raised by India, Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna told CNN-IBN TV channel, adding that the talks between foreign secretaries of two countries will only have terror on the agenda.
Let the nation not be mistaken that composite dialogue is being renewed. Composite dialogue was suspended with very good reason from the Indian point of view. The issue that we raised remained to be addressed by Pakistan with a degree of seriousness, said Krishna.
The Minister said that he did not know what issues Pakistan Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir would raise but the brief for our Secretary (Nirupama Rao) is that terror is the centre and focus point of talks.
Krishna asserted that the Foreign Secretary-level talks would only take place in order to carry forward the core issue as far as India is concerned about terror and terror-driven activities emanating from Pakistan.
We thought that it is necessary to engage Pakistan in this very critical area of terror, he added. On the criticism for talking with Pakistan, Krishna said: If there is a better suggestion in terms of alternative the government is willing to consider those alternatives. If the opposition in their wisdom emanating from being out of government can suggest - the government is not unwilling to look at them.
He claimed that India had given enough evidence to Pakistan on Mumbai terror attacks.
In the present talks after 14 months, we provided them (Pakistan) with a document to carry out further investigations in Pakistan as the crime (Mumbai terror attack) was committed, hatched, carried out by Pakistanis. We thought it is necessary that after 14 months what they have done to address our concerns. The terror infrastructure is a threat to India, and to the stability in the region, Krishna added.
Meanwhile, Pakistan High Commissioner Shahid Malik on Wednesday met Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and discussed issues related to the February 25 Indo-Pak meeting.
Malik met Rao after his return from Islamabad where he held consultations with the Pakistan government on the forthcoming meeting between the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries.
Talking to reporters after holding a meeting of the Unified Commander in Jammu, Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday asserted that India cannot be deterred by threats from Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islami leader Iliyas Kashmiri and further maintained that New Delhi would provide full protection to every player, coach and official during Commonwealth Games.
Chidambaram expressed satisfaction on the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and made it clear that violation of human rights by anyone would not be tolerated.