NEW DELHI, Feb 23: Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has said that talks with Pakistan could resume tomorrow if Islamabad gave up what he said was cross-border terrorism, but he ruled out meeting President Pervez Musharraf during the current NAM summit in Malaysia, The Hindu newspaper said on Sunday.
Vajpayee made the remarks to Indian journalists travelling with him to Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.
Asked if there was American pressure on India to talk to Pakistan, Mr Vajpayee told newsmen on board his special aircraft that “India had told its friends that it was ready to begin talks if Pakistan eschewed cross-border terrorism,” The Hindu said.
Before boarding the aircraft to attend the 12th NAM summit, Vajpayee said terrorism would definitely figure in the deliberations of the Feb 24-25 summit, the newspaper said.
Vajpayee’s comments came amid reports that Indian and Pakistani troops traded small arms fire along the Line of Control (LoC) and what New Delhi describes as International Border in Jammu division overnight.
Press Trust of India quoted official sources in Jammu as saying on Sunday that there was no loss of life or damage to property on the India side.
