India, Pakistan Resume Sports Links, But Talks Remain Elusive Between Nuclear Rivals

By Steve Herman

New Delhi
05 June 2009

When cricket teams from India and Pakistan met on the pitch this
week, it raised hopes of a thaw in relations that were strained in last
years terror attacks on the Indian commercial capital Mumbai. India
blamed those attacks on suspected Pakistani-based terrorists. New Delhi
is ruling out any talks with Pakistan until its neighbor and
nuclear-armed rival takes substantive action to prevent Pakistani-based
terrorists from attempting further attacks on India.  

India's victory over Pakistan Wednesday in a warm-up match in England
was the first time the two national teams faced each other since last
November's terrorist attack on India's commercial capital, Mumbai.

But Indian government officials are reluctant, despite the resumption of some sporting ties, to re-start formal dialog.

External
Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna was asked by reporters Friday if India
plans to resume talks with Pakistan to try to resolve issues
confronting the region, such as their Kashmir territorial dispute.

"Well,
not unless they take concrete measures to prevent terrorist attacks
emanating from the soil of Pakistan aimed against India," he said.

Officials
in New Delhi and Islamabad are communicating through their diplomats to
determine how and when talks can resume. Such discussions involving
their top envoys in both capitals took place Wednesday and Thursday.

There
are still some issues that need to be resolved if talks are to take
place. India is upset with the Lahore High Court decision to release
from custody the founder of the group blamed for the Mumbai attacks.
The court ruled there was not enough evidence to continue holding Hafiz
Mohammad Saeed, the founder of Laskhar-e-Taiba (and leader of
Jamaat-ud-Dawa), who India contends is the mastermind of last year's
assault on Mumbai.  

India and Pakistan have traded accusations
that the other is not cooperating sufficiently in providing evidence
for investigations into the Mumbai attacks.

The Indian foreign minister says Saeed's release demonstrates Islamabad is not serious about combating terrorism.

Meanwhile,
Delhi Police have arrested an alleged Pakistani militant, Abdul Madni.
The government says he has links to Saeed. Video of the suspect, shown
surrounded by heavily armed police, was aired here Friday.

Home
Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram credited Madni's arrest to good
intelligence and investigative work by the police. But he rebutted news
reports linking the suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba operative to an increased
security alert for the city of Hyderabad.

"Let me assure
everyone there is no need for any alarm that there is going to be any
imminent terrorist attack," said Chidambaram.

The home
minister says officials in Hyderabad decided to heighten their
alertness following information Indian authorities relayed to the state
governments. Chidambaram did not elaborate. Media reports say the
Intelligence Bureau has warned of a major attack, possibly in the
southern part of the country.