India is keeping a close watch on the first broad-based US-Pakistan strategic dialogue next week where Islamabad will be making a strong pitch for a “compensation package” besides looking to corner assurances on major defence deals, energy cooperation including in the nuclear sector and a larger say on the future of Afghanistan.
From the Indian standpoint, it is important to note that Pakistan plans to make a detailed presentation on its relations with India and the “threats” it faces on its eastern front, which is expected to stress on the “futility” of holding talks without a commitment on resuming the composite dialogue and also rake up the water issue for which it blames New Delhi. The Pakistan Water and Power Secretary is going to be part of the delegation precisely for this purpose, said sources.
What has caught New Delhi’s attention is that though Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi is the head of a mammoth (over 15 members) delegation, it is Pakistan Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani who seems to be the central figure of the dialogue. Ahead of the talks, he surprised the civilian establishment by holding a detailed preparatory meeting at the Pakistan Army General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. Secretaries of various ministries were asked to be at the GHQ for a review meeting on March 16 chaired by Kayani himself. Originally, the meeting was to be held at the Pakistan Foreign Office given that Qureshi was leading the delegation but the venue was later shifted.
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