NSA level talks with Pakistan: Dawood, 26/11, Gurdaspur on agenda

New Delhi: Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, speedy trial of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack and capture of a Pakistani terrorist in Udhampur are some of the key issues to be raised by India at the forthcoming NSA-level talks with Pakistan.

Recent terror attack in Punjab's Gurdaspur, cross-border firing, infiltration from across the border and presence of militants' camps in Pakistan will also be on the table as the government is preparing a detailed dossier for the high-level meeting to be held on August 23.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval held a meeting with Home Secretary L C Goyal, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, Defence Secretary G Mohan Kumar and top security officials where they discussed the issues to be raised before his Pakistani counterpart Sartaj Aziz, official sources said.

India is expected to give evidence that the three terrorists who carried out the attack in Gurdaspur last month came from Pakistan and Mohammed Naved Yakub, arrested in Udhampur in Jammu recently after an ambush on a BSF convoy, was a Pakistani national.

Ending the suspense, Pakistan's National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz confirmed on Thursday that he will visit India on August 23 for talks with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval.

"I can confirm I will proceed to India on August 23 for the NSA talks," Aziz said while responding to a question at a joint press conference with visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. The NSA talks are mandated to "discuss all issues connected to terrorism". "Although the security talks are not the revival of the Composite Dialogue, the meeting would be 'ice-breaking' as we will hold discussions on some important issues," Aziz said. "PM Nawaz Sharif believes that dialogue is the only option to peacefully resolve issues," he added.