Indian left demands resumption of talks with Pakistan

NEW DELHI: Indian left party leaders have asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take steps for resumption of the stalled composite dialogue with Pakistan.

Communists Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karan and his CPI counterpart A B Bardhan, made the call after a meeting with the prime minister.

The meeting followed reports that Manmohan Singh was likely to meet Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on the margins of the Non-Aligned Summit Havana starting next week.

Karat told The Hindu newspaper that Foreign Secretary-level talks, which were postponed by India after the Mumbai serial blasts, could be resumed.

As for the ongoing dialogue that the United Progressive Alliance is having with different groups in the Indian-held Kashmir, he said efforts to find a political settlement to vexed issues should continue.

Karat further said Dr Singh was appreciative of the Left parties stance that the present stalemate between the two countries could not continue indefinitely.

According to the paper, sources within the Left parties said their leaders were given to understand that their position on the issue would help neutralize the hawks within the government.