NEW DELHI, Feb 20: All eyes will be on the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan next week when they come face to face at a Saarc ministers’ meeting in Colombo for the first time since the November terror attacks in Mumbai, diplomatic sources said on Friday.

Their comments followed reports here that Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee would visit Colombo for the two-day meeting of the Saarc council of ministers. The February 27-28 meeting is expected to be followed by a Saarc summit in the Maldives later this year.

If the meeting does happen by April, as is widely expected, it would give Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh an opportunity to play the statesman just ahead of India’s general elections.

The sources said there was no indication so far of a schedule for even informal bilateral talks between Mr Mukherjee and Pakistan’s Shah Mehmood Qureshi. Under the prevailing circumstances even the body language would be watched closely. The two had last met in New Delhi on November 26, but within a few minutes of their warm handshake the Mumbai attacks began. They later spoke on the phone when Mr Qureshi was addressing a press meet in New Delhi. The conversation was said to have been business-like but not impolite. In fact the Indian foreign ministry’s account of the conversation on November 28 was close to Pakistan’s own initial position

“The groups responsible and their supporters are, therefore, also acting against the direct interests of the government of Pakistan. We expect Pakistan to honour its solemn commitments not to permit the use of its

territory for terrorism against India,” Mr Mukherjee was quoted as telling his Pakistani guest.

The Indian Express suggested there could be bilateral meetings in Colombo with the Pakistani and the Sri Lankan foreign ministers, who would have a few things to share with regard to the war against the Tamil rebels. “The meeting would serve as an opportunity for India to raise issues of bilateral concern with both Sri Lanka and Pakistan. It would also turn out to be the first encounter between Mr Mukherjee and Mr Qureshi after the Mumbai terror attacks,” The Express said.

Dealing with the 26/11 aftermath, New Delhi will take this opportunity to raise Pakistan’s responsibility as enshrined in the Saarc Convention on Suppression of Terrorism, which makes it incumbent on Islamabad to hand over the Mumbai terror suspects to the Indian authorities, it said.

Swat ‘surrender’

Meanwhile, India expressed its concern over the sweeping concessions given to Taliban rebels in Swat.

On the sidelines of a function in New Delhi, Defence Minister A.K. Antony said the government was concerned about the security scenario since the Mumbai terror attacks and the latest development had added to India’s worries.

“Mr Antony was reacting to the comments on the ceasefire between Pakistani troops and Taliban militia in the Swat valley, under which Islamabad has virtually surrendered to the demands of the fundamentalists,” a news report said.

Mr Antony said the killing of a TV journalist in the restive Swat valley by unidentified gunmen was a serious matter particularly with the resurgence of the Taliban, which preach violence and terror.

He said such elements had no place in a civilised world.