Bilateral Meeting between Krishna, Qureshi Unlikely at Sidelines of CHOGM

Dissatisfied with Pakistan with its behaviour on terrorism, especially Mumbai terror attacks, India is not curious enough to hold a Foreign Ministerial level meeting with Pakistan even as both SM Krishna and his counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi are in Port of Spain to attend an international summit.

Reports suggest that India is not opposed to talks with Pakistan at any level, but it thinks that these are purposeless given Pakistan’s attitude.

“No meeting has been scheduled as of now, neither has any been formally sought by Pakistan,” reports said quoting a source when asked if Krishna and Qureshi would have a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), a grouping of 53 former British colonies.

Qureshi, who is taking part in the summit in place of President Asif Ali Zardari, has publicly expressed his desire to meet Krishna for discussions on issues of mutual concerns.

However, reports said that the possibility of a pull-aside interaction between the two ministers cannot be ruled out for both of them would be at the same venue for three days. Substantive meetings serve no purpose in terms of translating words into action by Pakistan, though.

In New York, a meeting took place between Krishna and Qureshi on the sidelines of UN General Assembly in September during which the Pakistani leader gave assurance of doing everything to bring to justice the perpetrators of Mumbai attacks.

Also, the two leaders met again Kabul earlier this month during the swearing-in of President Hamid Karzai for the second month. During a lunch hosted by Afghan Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta, Krishna enquired from Qureshi about the progress in the Mumbai attacks case and impressed upon him the need to speed it up.

These two meetings have proved futile.