At the first meeting of the Indo-Pak Joint Anti-Terror Mechanism in Islamabad, the two countries agreed to exchange information to help investigations relating to terrorist acts and to prevent violence in the two countries.

It was also agreed that while the anti-terrorism mechanism would meet on quarterly basis, any information which is required to be provided on priority basis would be immediately conveyed to the respective heads of the mechanism.

The mechanism is headed by the additional joint secretaries of both the countries. The two-day meeting began in Islamabad on Tuesday with the Indian delegation being led by K C Singh, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, while his Pakistani counterpart Tariq Osman Hyder led the host's side.

The Indian team handed over the photograph of a suspected Pakistani national who is believed to be behind the February 18 Samjhauta Express blasts that killed 68 of the travellers from Delhi to Lahore.

Indian officials have forwarded to Islamabad 'confessions' by a Pakistani national on his role in the 2005 bombing of the police headquarters in Hyderabad and requested for an update on the probe at the next meeting of the joint Anti-Terror Mechanism.

Observing that India and Pakistan have acted in a 'statesman-like' manner during their anti-terror talks, the United States has said there has been a considerable expansion in the range of dialogue between the two countries and a number of new ideas for resolution of issues like Kashmir have been brought in.

Image: Additional Secretary at the Ministry of External Affairs K C Singh (right) at the meeting with Pakistani Additional Secretary Tariq Usman (left) and other officials in Islamabad.
Photograph: Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty Images

Also See:
India, Pakistan: Fighting terror together

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