War emerges ahead of peace talks
Published:Monday | June 20, 2011 | 12:00 AM
NEW DELHI (AP):
Days before peace talks, India and Pakistan were caught in an angry exchange of accusations yesterday over the movements of their warships engaged in operations against Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean.
An Indian naval ship and a Pakistani naval vessel brushed against each other last Thursday. Pakistan protested Friday, saying the Indian warship undertook dangerous manoeuvres, and a day later India said it was the Pakistani ship that had jeopardised safety.
The spat comes less than a week before Indian and Pakistani officials are to meet in Islamabad for peace talks on a range of issues, including their long-standing dispute over the Kashmir region and the threats posed by terrorism.
The talks between Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and her Pakistani counterpart, Salman Bashir, would mark the first formal talks between the South Asian rivals on Kashmir since India broke off peace negotiations in 2008 after terrorist attacks in Mumbai killed 166 people. The two days of discussions starting June 23 are in preparation for peace talks at the level of foreign ministers scheduled for next month.