ISLAMABAD, May 23: The expert-level Indo-Pakistan talks on nuclear confidence-building measures (CBMs) scheduled to be held in New Delhi on May 25-26 have been postponed following a request by the new Indian government.
"Today, the Government of India has requested us for the postponement of the talks on nuclear CBMs because, as a result of the recent transition in leadership, an external affairs minister of India had not yet taken office," said a foreign office statement issued here on Sunday.
The announcement came on the eve of the departure of an eight-member Pakistani delegation to India in an echo of the last-minute postponement of technical-level talks on the Srinagar-Muzzafarabad bus service last month.
The Indian government request for the postponement, a day after the new Indian prime minister and his 67-member cabinet team took oath, came with the proposal of holding the talks on nuclear CBMs two days ahead of the foreign secretary-level talks.
The two foreign secretaries are to meet in June for talks on peace and security as well as Jammu and Kashmir. In a veiled note of disappointment, the foreign office statement said: "Pakistan was looking forward to participating in these talks."
Underlining the importance Pakistan attaches to the continuation of the composite dialogue process, the statement said: "Pakistan looks forward to an early scheduling of the foreign secretary-level talks as well talks on nuclear CBMs."
According to sources, Indian High Commissioner Shiv Shankar Menon conveyed the request for postponement of talks to Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar here on Sunday morning. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs also communicated it to the Pakistan high commissioner in New Delhi.
While the Indian media reported that the postponement was expected given that the new government had just been sworn-in, it came as a surprise for Pakistan as it had received confirmation from India just a few days ago that the talks were on schedule and on track.
Although there is no official word on the Indian proposal of holding the nuclear CBMs talks back-to-back with the secretary-level dialogue, it appears that it would not pose a problem.
"Pakistan is likely to be receptive to this proposal," an informed source said, adding that now the priority would be to work out dates for the foreign secretary-level talks, which would automatically lead to scheduling of talks on nuclear CBMs.
Meanwhile, officials here maintained there was no signal for any disruption or discontinuity in the general calendar of activity agreed between Pakistan and India. The talks on nuclear CBMs were to be held in pursuance of a decision taken by foreign secretaries of the two countries on Feb 18, 2004.
The Pakistani delegation comprised two nuclear experts from the Strategic Plans Division and five senior officials from the Foreign Ministry, including Additional Secretary Tariq Osman Haider, Director-General South Asia Jalil Abbas Jilani, a former deputy high commissioner to India, and Director-General UN Masood Khan, also the spokesman. Mr Khan was included in the delegation just a day ago, it is learnt.