October 17, 2003	Friday	Sha'aban 20, 1424

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NEW DELHI, Oct 16: Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha said on Thursday talks with Pakistan had not begun because Islamabad had done “nothing at all” to stop “cross-border terrorism” in Kashmir.

Speaking on BBC World’s “Hard Talk” programme, Mr Sinha said peace talks with Islamabad had not started “for the simple reason that Pakistan has done nothing, nothing at all, to stop cross-border terrorism,” a Press Trust of India (PTI) report said.

“By offering that hand of friendship and giving a chance to Pakistan to come clean on cross-border terrorism, (Indian) Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was giving another opportunity... which Pakistan has not grasped,” he said.

In April Vajpayee offered a “hand of friendship” to Pakistan, ending 17 months of hostilities that followed a militant attack on the Indian parliament in December 2001. Since then, tensions have eased, but the progress has been described by Pakistan as slow.—AFP