New Delhi:
Home Minister P Chidambaram met his Pakistani counterpart Rehman Malik on Friday and is understood to have pressed for urgent action against Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed and 26/11 handlers, including those who are believed to be in the Pakistan Army.
Chidambaram, the first Indian Home Minister to visit Pakistan in three decades, met Malik at the Interior Ministry in Islamabad, where he was accorded a red carpet welcome and given a ceremonial Guard of Honour. (
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In a special gesture, Malik went to the Chaklala Air Base in Rawalpindi and personally received Chidambaram, who arrived to attend the SAARC Home Ministers' Conference scheduled for Saturday.
On their way to the VIP lounge, both Chidambaram and Malik were seen talking to each other and posed for photographs.
During the meeting, Chidambaram, the first Indian Minister to visit Pakistan after the 26/11 strikes, is believed to have told Malik that the time has come for Pakistan to address issues concerning the deadly Mumbai attacks with seriousness that they warrant.
The Indian Home Minister is also understood to have sought action against Saeed, whom New Delhi considers as the mastermind of the 26/11 attacks, and handlers, including those who are believed to be serving in the Pakistani Army, of the deadly attack that killed 166 people.
(Read: Pak should act against Saeed, says Chidambaram)Chidambaram is also believed to have sought voice samples of the Pakistani handlers and raised issues like infiltration on the border of Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistanis who have infiltrated and are indulging in militant activities.
Speaking to reporters accompanying him in the special aircraft, Chidambaram said he will not say anything that will cast a shadow on the SAARC Home Ministers' Meeting, which is primary engagement in Islamabad.
He said he will tell Pakistan "politely, but firmly" that the time has come to address issues concerning the Mumbai attacks.
(Read: Ahead of Pak visit, Chidambaram orders release offour Pak prisoners)"I will use the opportunity to bring home to Pakistan gravity of issues and the need for response that is appropriate to the gravity of the situation," he said.
"It has been 18 months since I took over. The time has come to address these issues (regarding Mumbai attacks) with seriousness that they warrant. That is what I am going to tell them politely, but firmly," Chidambaram said.
"It is a very good moment and good beginning. It was a good discussion and it sends out a good message to the people of both Pakistan and India," Malik told reporters after the meeting.
"There should exchange of hearts (between India and Pakistan) rather than dossiers," he said.
Foreign Secretaries meetEarlier, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir on Thursday held discussions to reduce the trust deficit post-26/11.
As a first sign that things had gone off better than expected, they held a joint press conference, the first since 26/11 attacks. Both Nirupama Rao and Salman Bashir looked visibly more relaxed than they did in February this year.
(Read: Joint presser for Indo-Pak Foreign Secretaries - Goodsign)Bashir said he felt "much more optimistic" about a good outcome at the talks.
At their meeting, the two sides reportedly exchanged proposals on terrorism, Kashmir and humanitarian issues. (With NDTV inputs)