THE spectre of bonhomie between India and Pakistan following the meeting of the home ministers of the two countries appears to have fizzled out as a day after the meet the Pakistan Foreign Minister, Mr Shah Mehmood Qureshi termed India’s concern that enough was not being done by Pakistan in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks as "presumptuous" and expressed helpless over the inflammatory anti-India speeches made by the terrorists there.

This nature of observation was not expected of Mr Qureshi who only a day ago had assured the Indian Home Minister, Mr P Chidambaram to take these developments seriously. What was most ridiculous was his comparison of the general anti-Indian public sentiment with the mechanism of the terrorists. Undoubtedly "all sorts of people make all sorts of speeches" but it is the prerogative as well as the moral and administrative responsibility of the government to identify the terrorist voice and take corrective measures. It is indeed shocking that Mr Qureshi virtually ruled out barring Jamaat-ud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, mastermind of the Mumbai terror attack of 2008, from giving inflammatory speeches targeting India. How long the Pakistani rulers would hide their real intentions behind the façade of terrorist activities?

One thing is absolutely clear that Pakistan does not intend to antagonise the terrorists by taking action against them. It is not in the interest of the Pakistani establishment. Else, there was no reason Mr Qureshi should have replied positively to the assertion of Mr Chidambaram that India was not questioning Pakistan’s intention but was looking for outcomes in the 26/11 Mumbai attack probe and prosecution. The fact that India wanted a substantive action against the Mumbai terror suspects in Pakistan as well as other "India-centric militant groups was made clear to the Pakistani authorities by the Indian foreign secretary only a day ahead of Mr Qureshi’s meeting with Mr Chidambaram. But even then he did not come out with a positive response. Pakistan should realise that mere diplomatic exercises and talks are not sufficient to restore peace between the two countries unless the culprits are not prosecuted. It is beyond comprehension why the Pakistan authorities are linking this demand to the prestige of the Pakistan Army. The exercise of talk, and endless talk, would prove to be mere diplomatic circus and lose its relevance if no concrete action is taken against the persons who have been primarily responsible for executing terrorist activities against India. Pakistan must not test the perseverance of India. As Mr Qureshi said that people of Pakistan do not endorse terrorist activities, then what prevents the Pakistan government from reciprocating Indian demand? Any dithering and the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks would eventually win. The government of Pakistan owes to its people to do what it can to bring peace in the region.