BRUSSELS, Feb 18 Talks with India will not make the required progress if New Delhi insists on focussing on security, Pakistan said on Thursday.

Foreign secretaries of the two countries are to meet in New Delhi on Feb 25 after India this month offered to hold high-level talks.

“Why this focus on terrorism? How can we have good relations if we just ignore the outstanding issues like Kashmir?” Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said.

“That's an ostrich mentality.”

Mr Qureshi, in an interview on the sidelines of an Eastwest Institute security conference in Belgium, said much would depend on India's 'mindset' about the agenda of the meeting.

“If they want to narrow it down, if they want to restrict, if they want to overlook reality, overlook the disputes between us, we will not make the headway that is required,” he said.

“But if we put everything on the table and if we can sit and peacefully negotiate and find a peaceful resolution of the outstanding issues, then I think there is hope for the future.”

Asked if his comment meant Pakistan did not want security to dominate the talks, he replied “If you restrict the dialogue to the area of your interest, then you're defeating the purpose - there are our interests as well.”

Mr Qureshi said Pakistan would go to the talks “with a constructive and open mind”.

Asked if Pakistan could do more against the Lashkar-e-Taiba group, blamed by India for the Mumbai assault, he said there was work to do “on both sides of the border”.

“Do you think India is free of militant groups? There are lots of militant groups operating in India. The idea is to work together. Why this focus on Lashkar-e-Taiba?...We have issues that go beyond LeT.”

The foreign minister said that the arrest of an Afghan Taliban commander by Pakistan was not done under pressure and showed the sincerity of its fight against terrorism.

“We have done it because it is in our interests to do so,” Mr Qureshi said.

His comments were the first by a senior Pakistani official about the arrest of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, beyond terse statements confirming the event.

He denied that it was a ploy to ease US pressure on Islamabad for increased help in stabilising Afghanistan.

Some analysts said the Pakistani security establishment realised it must demonstrate cooperation with the United States to stake its claim to a role in any Afghan peace process.—Reuters