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Manmohan had 'secret talks' with Kayani 10 months back: Report

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India's Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh opened secret talks with Pakistan Army chief ten months ago to build on the cricket-inspired diplomatic thaw between the two countries, a media report said today.

Singh "appointed an unofficial envoy to make contact with General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Pakistan's chief of the Army Staff who exercises de facto control over foreign policy," The Times reported.

The talks, through a back channel, have encouraged the UK and US believe that the countries competition for influence in Afghanistan could be better managed during efforts to start a peace process, it said.

The visit of Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to watch the semi-final match between India and Pakistan in the cricket World Cup last month has sparked hope of a diplomatic thaw between the two neighbouring countries.

Kayani visited Kabul this week to meet members of the High Peace Council, a body set up by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, to build contacts with Taliban groups.

Manmohan had 'secret talks' with Kayani 10 months back: Report
 
Now that we found out,its no more a secret.
 
MMS should had invited him to the cricket match.............Gilani ke toh pakistan main chalti nahi hai
 
Sonia should have invited Kiyani.... yeh MMS becharay ki kon sunta hai in duniya mien.
 
how does secrets get revealed to Indian media is surprising...sometimes even after ten months !!
 
That was MMS's big mistake, he should have been talking to Imran Khan, you know talk to the door so the window will hear
 
That was MMS's big mistake, he should have been talking to Imran Khan, you know talk to the door so the window will hear

but imran khan is still not in power first let him come into power
 
Yes, but he is a friend to "friends", one reads - wink wink, nudge, nudge, ahem
 
Yes, but he is a friend to "friends", one reads - wink wink, nudge, nudge, ahem

yeah but it would be better to talk to him once he came in power and honestly i do think imran khan will do great work for pk
 
The Hindu : National : Manmohan using ‘unofficial envoy' to contact Kayani, says British media report

LONDON: A British newspaper on Saturday somewhat sensationally claimed that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had opened “secret talks” with Pakistan and appointed an “unofficial envoy” about 10 months ago to make contact with Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.

Under the heading, “Cricket-inspired Thaw Pushes Rivals into Secret Talks,” The Times said it had “learnt” that the move was intended to build on the “cricket-inspired diplomatic thaw between the rivals” following the World Cup semi-final in Mohali.

Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani visited India at Dr. Singh's invitation to watch the match.

Observers, however, noted a contradiction in the report. How, they asked, was it possible for a move initiated “about ten months ago” to be related to the “cricket-inspired diplomatic thaw” which was barely a month-old?

The newspaper pointed out that New Delhi did not react to General Kayani's recent visit to Kabul to meet Taliban representatives. This was “evidence” of what it described as “rapprochement being driven by the U.S., after the Cricket World Cup semi-final.”

“General Kayani visited Kabul this week to meet members of the High Peace Council, a body set up by President [Hamid] Karzai, to build contacts with Taleban groups. General Kayani was accompanied by General Ahmad Shuja Pasha, the head of Pakistan's powerful Inter-Services Intelligence agency. Delhi, which in the past would have condemned the visit as Pakistani ‘meddling', remained silent — providing the latest evidence of rapprochement being driven by the U.S., after the Cricket World Cup semi-final between the two nations,” it said.

The newspaper said the talks “through a back channel” had encouraged London and Washington to believe that the “competition” between India and Pakistan for influence in Afghanistan could “be better managed during efforts to start a peace process.”

“The settling of a disputed border at Sir Creek in the south, and the demilitarisation of the Siachen glacier in the north, are also being used to create an impression of diplomatic momentum,” it said, adding despite “U.S. pressure and Mr. Singh's commitment” there were still substantial obstacles to a lasting thaw. These included access for Indian investigators to the suspected Pakistani conspirators behind the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

New Delhi Bureau reports:

Senior officials were dismissive of British media reports that the Indian government was using a ‘special envoy' to reach out to General Kayani. “We are already in touch, and have contacts with the Pakistani military at different levels,” a highly placed source told The Hindu on Saturday.

He said there had been no special approach made since the Mohali match.

The Hindu has learned that the Pakistani side made a proposal last year for the commandant of its National Defence University to visit the Indian National Defence College in New Delhi. But even this proposal — the first exchange of this kind — failed to get off the ground because the Defence Ministry was not enthusiastic about it.

Eventually, the Pakistani side also stopped pressing the issue.
 
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