Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee reminded visiting Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri of the commitment that Islamabad made not allowing any terrorist group to operate from Pakistani soil.
Kasuri called on Vajpayee at his residence on Thursday morning and the two leaders spoke for 40 minutes. Former external affairs minister Yashwant Sinha and former national security advisor Brajesh Misra were present from the Indian side, and the Pakistan high commissioner in New Delhi accompanied Kasuri.
"Kasuri praised Vajpayee for his statesmanship and for initiating the peace process between India and Pakistan. Vajpayee reminded the visiting foreign minister that the statement that he gave at that time was qualified by a 'if' and that Pakistan must dismantle the terror structure from its soil," Yashwant Sinha said.
He said Kasuri claimed that Pakistan was a victim of terror and that the number of suicide bombers had gone up recently. "But, we do not accept that Pakistan is a victim of terror," Sinha said.
Kasuri extended an invitation to Vajpayee to visit Pakistan and see some of the sites.
Earlier, a meeting between Kasuri and former external affairs minister Jaswant Singh was called off and no reason was given.
