New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Security
today decided that the Foreign Secretary-level talks would
take place as per schedule on February 25 as it discussed the
issue in the backdrop of the Pune blast.
The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and
attended by Home Minister P Chidambaram, Finance Minister
Pranab Mukherjee, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and
Defence Minister A K Antony thoroughly deliberated on the
issue of forthcoming talks, sources said.
The hour-long meeting weighed pros and cons of going
ahead with the talks as also the agenda that should figure in
the parleys, they said.
It was decided that Saturday's Pune blast should not
affect the schedule of the talks between the foreign
secretaries of India and Pakistan and these should take place.
However, the meeting was of the view that there would be
a rethink if any more terror attack takes place, the sources
said.
National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon, Foreign
Secretary Nirupama Rao and Union Home Secretary G K Pillai
were also present during the CCS meeting.
Chidambaram provided an update on investigation into the
blast.
Emerging from the meeting, Chidambaram said, "I briefed
the CCS on Pune blasts."
Sources yesterday said there should be no "knee-jerk"
reaction to the bomb attack.
Bureau Report
First Published: Monday, February 15, 2010, 23:57