Indo-Pak NSA talks: It's a good beginning, says Sayeed

Jammu, Dec 7: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohmmad Sayeed today termed as a "good beginning" the talks between National Security Advisors of India and Pakistan and said the two sides appear to be on a reconciliation path to bridge the "huge trust deficit".

"It is welcome step and good beginning. We hope for success," he told reporters here on the sidelines of a function at government hospital in Gandhinagar. Sayeed was replying to a volley of questions about his reaction on NSA level talks.

"This is what we have been thinking. The Government of India was also thinking (on the same lines). The relations, the process of reconciliation should start without any noise," he said.

The Chief Minister said, "I feel that there is need to prepare the ground. There is a huge trust deficit. To bridge the trust deficit, the preliminary meeting like the NSAs have met and foreign secretaries have met.

"I think they (India and Pak) are preparing.... I cannot jump the gun to say some big thing is going to happen. But a process has been started...to build confidence in each other. There is beginning," he said. Sayeed said that "it was my stand... it was in my mind that it is going to happen...."

"But it is an evolutionary process. It takes time and it cannot be done in one go. It is zigzag process. It is good beginning. We hope for success (of these talks)," Sayeed said.

In a sudden breakthrough, National Security Advisors of India and Pakistan held talks in Bangkok yesterday on a wide range of issues including terrorism and Jammu and Kashmir, and agreed to take forward the "constructive" engagement. NSA Ajit Doval and his Pakistani counterpart Nasir Janjua also discussed peace and security and other issues including tranquility along the LoC.

PTI