NEW DELHI, 15 November 2006 — India and Pakistan yesterday discussed the setting up of a path-breaking mechanism to jointly fight the “menace of terrorism” and held talks on a wide range of bilateral issues, including Kashmir, as the neighbors resumed their stalled foreign-secretary level talks.

Discussions will continue on the setting up of the joint anti-terror mechanism which is likely to be in place by today, the concluding day of the two-day foreign-secretary level talks, official sources said.

India also shared “some evidence” of the complicity of Pakistan based militants, supported by the country’s intelligence agency, in terrorist incidents in its territory over the last one year, including in the 7/11 Mumbai train bombings, the sources said.

“The two sides discussed the menace of terrorism and the anti-terror mechanism agreed upon between the two sides in Havana,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Navtej Sarna told reporters after talks between Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon and his Pakistani counterpart Riaz Mohammad Khan.

A considerable amount of time was spent on discussing terrorism in the wake of the Havana declaration, Sarna stressed.

The talks, which were held in “a positive and constructive atmosphere,” reviewed the third round of composite dialogue and covered a wide array of bilateral issues, including Kashmir, peace and security, the dispute over the Siachen glacier, economic and commercial cooperation and the need to accelerate people-to-people contacts through more confidence building measures CBMs).

A wide swathe of CBMs, including more cross-border bus and truck services, were also reviewed with a view to implementing them at an early date.

The Pakistani delegation led by Khan also called on External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee. In discussions lasting half an hour, Mukherjee stressed the need to jointly fight terrorism together. He welcomed the resumption of the stalled foreign secretary-level talks, that was postponed by New Delhi after the July 11 Mumbai train bombings and lauded the “very positive change in atmosphere” in bilateral ties, Sarna said.

The minister also spoke of the need to take further action so that expectations of people of both sides are met, Sarna said.

“It is an expert round. There is a detailed discussion on the Kashmir issue and its resolution. Terrorism was also discussed,” Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam, who is part of the Pakistani delegation, said.

“Discussions were held on confidence building measures and peace and security. Talks were also held on the issue of terrorism which Pakistan and India are confronting,” she said.

“The main question is not whether the joint terror mechanism will deliver. It is about India’s ability to construct a framework of risks and rewards to Pakistan on cross-border terrorism,” strategic affairs editor C. Raja Mohan wrote in the Indian Express newspaper.

The newspaper said however that the Mumbai blasts would not be on the agenda because India had “little yet in terms of concrete evidence” against Pakistan.

Pakistan’s foreign secretary said he expected constructive talks.

“I am looking forward to very constructive discussions with (the Indian) foreign secretary,” Khan told reporters Monday in New Delhi.

Mukherjee last week said India would ask Pakistan to honor previous commitments to halt militant attacks on Indian soil.

“Terrorism is an important issue because earlier talks were suspended because of public outrage after the Mumbai blasts,” Mukherjee said. “I would like them to stick to assurances (to check militants) which they have given.”

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri said Monday a swift deal on Siachen was possible. “Given the political will, we have narrowed down our differences enough for us to have a decision on Siachen within a matter of days,” he said.

There was no immediate comment from India, which has held strategic peaks on the 6,300-meter (20,700-foot) glacier since 1987 and has refused to withdraw troops.

India wants troop positions marked out in case Pakistan moves its soldiers in after a withdrawal. Islamabad fears writing down the positions would be tacit acceptance of India’s claims to Siachen.

Analysts warned against expecting a breakthrough in the talks but said the South Asian neighbors, who came close to war in 2002, were unlikely to desert the nearly three-year-old peace process.

“The greater success lies in the fact these talks should have a regularity that is predictable,” said C. Uday Bhaskar of the government-funded Institute for Defense Studies and Analysis.