India will not allow Saturday’s terrorist attack in Pune to come in the way of the foreign secretary-level talks with Islamabad, slated for February 25.
“The talks will go on,” a source in the Prime Minister’s Office told Hindustan Times.
Government officials said withdrawing the dialogue proposal at this stage would be a “knee-jerk reaction”. Officials conceded that terrorist incidents like the one in Pune did not help the dialogue process, but said they should not be allowed to harm it either.
India had suspended its composite dialogue with Pakistan after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008.
In Chennai, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said he wanted the probe to be completed before committing himself.
“If a very strong link emerges between the Pune strike and elements across the border, the situation can change,” said a senior official. “We have maintained that any dialogue with Pakistan should be in an atmosphere free of terror.”