Top-level talks: India rakes up Jundal's Pak connection

On the first day of talks between the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan, focus was on terrorism, especially revelations by recently-arrested Lashkar-e-Tayiba operative Abu Jundal on Pakistan's involvement in Mumbai terror attacks, and Jammu and Kashmir.

Refusing to divulge any details of the deliberations, official spokesperson in Ministry of External Affairs Syed Akabaruddin only said the foreign secretaries, along with their respective delegations, have had "two full sessions of detailed discussions covering all aspects of the agenda under the items peace and security as well as Jammu and Kashmir."

At the end of the two sessions, Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai and his Pakistani counterpart Jalil Abbas Jilani have agreed to resume the talks on Thursday with a view to completing all the items scheduled for consideration, he added.

According to official sources, India flagged its concern over anti-India terror activities being planned from Pakistani soil in the backdrop of the arrest of LeT terrorist Abu Jundal, who has revealed that he, along with LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, was in the control room in Karachi during the 26/11 Mumbai carnage, in which 166 people were killed.

The Indian side also raised the issue of Jundal being issued a Pakistani passport and domestic identity cards under the name of Riyasat Ali, indicating the involvement of its state agencies, sources said.

The foreign secretaries were assisted by senior officials of both sides, including the Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Sharat Sabharwal and Pakistan's High Commissioner-designate to India Salman Bashir.

India is also understood to have reiterated its concern over the slow pace of Mumbai terror attacks trial in Pakistan.

The two sides also talked about confidence-building measures, including in trade and travel and nuclear fields. In the segment on Jammu and Kashmir, both sides discussed "all aspects" and ways to enhance cross LoC trade.