‘Door for talks with Pakistan is not shut’

New Delhi has come up with a measured response to Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani call for the resumption of composite dialogue, but maintained that “the door for dialogue has never been shut".

New Delhi has come up with a measured response to Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani call for the resumption of composite dialogue, but maintained that “the door for dialogue has never been shut".

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Indicating a slight thaw in the frosty ties after 26/11 Mumbai attack, sources said no relationship can be “static” and there could be some "measured contact" as Home Minister P Chidambaram is slated to visit Pakistan for the SAARC Home Ministers’ meet.

“We are not ruling out such communication,” a source said, indicating the possibility of contact between the foreign ministers and secretaries of the two countries.

"Some contact will take place but to take things really forward, we have to have a conducive atmosphere,” one of the sources said.

Pushing for resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue, Gilani had on Thursday said Pakistan and India should not be held "hostage to one incident" (26/11 Mumbai attack) and should hold talks because both the countries cannot "afford war".

"There has to be lot of de-clogging that needs to be done .... the atmosphere is not conducive...," a source said while noting that the rise in the infiltration attempts in Jammu and Kashmir, was a matter of concern.