Nirupama Rao says India-Pak talks must go on

New Delhi, July 17 (ANI): Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao on Saturday said that talks between India and Pakistan have not collapsed.

In an interview to NDTV, Rao stressed that the India-Pakistan talks had not "collapsed" and the dialogue process between them "must go on".

Rebuffing Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi's claim that his Indian counterpart had supported him on his criticism of Indian Home Secretary GK Pillai, she said India did not express any agreement with Pakistan's comments on Pillai.

She said that the tone and tenor of Qureshi's remarks could have been better. In diplomacy, as in life, such ups and downs are common, she added.

Asked if there had been expectations from the talks, Nirupama Rao said: "There were some expectations, and we have a clear set of doables."

"Pakistan came to the talks with slightly different expectations. They wanted the entire spectrum discussed. We are not against resumption of dialogue, it has to start in a graduated way," she added.

On Friday, Qureshi had said that India was not ready to discuss specifics related to bilateral issues bedevilling ties between the two countries, and added that Islamabad was in no hurry to engage New Delhi again unless the dialogue was result oriented.

Qureshi's statement came a day after he had participated in a rather acrimonious joint press conference with his Indian counterpart S.M. Krishna.

He also accused the Indian delegation of not being fully prepared for the dialogue, saying that Krishna seemed to be having difficulty as he had to constantly consult with and be directed by New Delhi during the talks in Islamabad on Thursday. (ANI)