Pune blasts should not derail Indo-Pak talks: Kerry

Making a strong pitch for the resumption of Indo-Pak talks, powerful US senator John Kerry has said scuttling of the process following the blast in Pune would be the "greatest mistake".

New York: Making a strong pitch for the
resumption of Indo-Pak talks, powerful US senator John Kerry
has said scuttling of the process following the blast in Pune
would be the "greatest mistake".

Kerry has said the bomb blast that claimed nine lives in
Pune should not derail the resumption of diplomatic talks but
should be the first item on the agenda if India finds a
Pakistani link to it.

"The right thing is to talk; you lose nothing by
talking," chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
said in an interview to the Wall Street Journal, stressing
that by not talking the two countries would play into the
hands of the terrorists.

The "greatest mistake" in responding to another terror
strike that emanated from Pakistan would be for the two sides
to give those responsible what they seek to achieve: the
subversion of democracy and the rule of law, he said.

"I hope India will have that conversation with Pakistan
and, if they have evidence to that effect (of a Pakistani link
to the blast), that should be the first thing on the table and
Pakistan has to deal with it," he added.

The Indo-Pak composite dialogue has been stalled ever
since Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists attacked Mumbai in November,
2008, killing 166 people.

The latest terror attack came as India and Pakistan are
preparing to hold Foreign Secretary level talks on February 25
after a hiatus of 14 months.

PTI

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