Officials from Pakistan and India are trying to reestablish peace talks between the two countries, according to MSN News. Pakistan Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir and Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao met for 90 minutes in February 2011. The two were in Bhutan for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.
India stopped peace talks with Pakistan in after 2009 attacks in Mumbai, blamed on Pakistan based Muslim terrorists Laskhar-e-Taiba. The attacks killed 160 people. India, frustrated with Pakistan’s failure to bring terrorists responsible for the attacks to justice, would not discuss peace with Pakistan for half a year prior to the meeting in Bhutan. Pakistan counters that they have put seven of the accused on trial. India also wants Pakistan to prosecute terrorists responsible for bombing a train in 2007.
The possibility of resuming peace talks began again when the Prime Ministers of the two countries met in Thimphi in April 2010 and again in Islambad in July 2010, according to Economic Times.
Bashir and Rao both expressed hope that peace talks could continue when interviewed after the meeting in Buhtan. The issues between the countries are complex and tensions are often high, making real peace efforts difficult for their officials, according to “Voice of America.” A January 2010 report in the Wall Street Journal said that India’s External Affairs Minister Krishna had renewed an invitation to Qureshi to begin new peace talks between the countries. While Qureshi expressed interest in the talks, no date was set to meet.
In February, 2011, “UPI” reported that India shunned Pakistan from Asia’s largest air show, Aero India 2011. An organizer for the event said that he acted on the advice of the ministry of external affairs in neglecting to include Pakistan, China and Iran. February 2011 is the eighth year for the air show, and Pakistan has never been included.