Islamabad, July 16, (ANI): We waited and waited! The Godots of journalists covering the India-Pakistan story – A joint press conference to be addressed by the Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and the Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi that was to take place at 12.30 p m, was postponed… hour by hour for eight hours.
 
Like an absurd play by Samuel Beckett, over a hundred reporters packed into a stuffy room in the Foreign office which was over lit but under cooled waited for the protagonists of this play to descend and perform.
 
Two giant throne-like gilded chairs were placed on a raised platform with an overdone flower arrangement. For eight hours, over thirty video cameras positioned, still photographers crouched in front of this bizarre set, reporters walking in and out like caged tigers, waited.

Islamabad, July 16 (ANI): Indian External Affairs Minister S.M.Krishna will offer a chaddar at the Data Gunj Baksh shrine in Lahore via Punjab Chief MInister Shahbaz Sharif, whom he will meet shortly.

Mr.Krishna will meet with Mr.Sharif at the Punjab House in Islamabad.

Since he is leaving for New Delhi shortly, Mr. Krishna would not be able to visit the Sufi shrine which was attacked by suicide bombers earlier this month.

The bombing resulted in the death of at least 40 people and injuries to over 170.

It took place on July 2, when multiple suicide bombers blew themselves at night.

Islamabad, July 15 (ANI): The foreign ministers of India and Pakistan on Thursday may have sought to project before a global audience and their respective media that their much awaited talks here were positive, constructive and meaningful - it was anything but that.

Going by the body language of both S.M. Krishna and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, and the pointed, at times, aggressive questions asked by the media, it was plain and simple -- disastrous and awful.

Here is why?

For starters, the press conference was to begin at about 12.30 p.m. Pakistan time, but commenced nearly eight hours later, leaving media persons of either side tired, and experiencing feelings of anxiousness, exasperation, and indulging in rumor and banter about possible pluses and minuses - more focused on the latter.

Islamabad, July 15 (ANI): "Katl karne vaale bhi vo hain aur investigation karne vaale bhi vahin hain" says Akhtar Mengal, leader of the Balochistan National Party blaming the government for the assassination of former BNP senator Habib Jalib.

Speaking on Geo TV last night, an agitated Mengal said that the situation in Balochistan is worse today than it was during the rule of General Musharraf.

He said that during General Musharraf's military rule, Balochis were picked up from the streets and taken to torture cells, but now, under the so-called democratic regime, "people are being killed openly on the roads of Balochistan."

Mr. Pillai had said that the evidence against the ISI emerged from the interrogation by Indian officials of a Chicago man, David Headley, who pleaded guilty to working with the Lashkar-e-Taiba to plan the attacks.

Islamabad, July 14 (ANI): Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna arrived here on a three-day visit, with what he said was a message of peace and friendship for the people and the Government of Pakistan.

Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India Shahid Malik and the Chief of Protocol of the Government of Pakistan received him and the Indian delegation.

Islamabad, Jul 14 (ANI): On the eve of the Indo- Pak Foreign Ministers' level talks, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna today said that India wants prompt action from Pakistan on confessions by Lashkar-e-Toiba operative David Coleman Headley over the Mumbai terror attacks, and added that he was here to see what action Pakistan has taken so far.

Krishna, who arrived at the Chaklala Air Base along with a 15-member official delegation on Wednesday, was speaking to reporters at Hotel Serena in Islamabad.

Islamabad, Jul 14 (ANI): Visiting Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna today said that frequent anti-India statements by the Lashkar-e-Taiba founder and the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, Hafiz Saeed, will not help in smoothening of relationship with Pakistan.

On the eve of the Indo- Pak Foreign Ministers' level talks, India wants Pakistan not to turn a blind eye to the anti-India campaign by terrorists from its soil in the name of freedom of speech.

Islamabad, Jul 14 (ANI): Ahead of Indo-Pak Foreign Ministers level talks, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said in lighter vein that he would like to play tennis match with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

Islamabad, Jul 14 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said that in order for India and Pakistan to stride towards bridging the trust deficit between the two countries, Pakistan must "dismantle for good the terror instrumentality within the country."

He said that while time and again statements were made by Jehadi groups and their leaders like Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin, India was quite firm in its demand that it's not just the speeches and rallies that are anti-India in nature, but the entire gamut of terror training, plotting and funding that should stop.

The Indian Home Secretary's comment on the eve of Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna's visit to Islamabad yesterday on the ISI's (Pakistan's intelligence agency) pro-active role in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks came as a surprise to the Pakistani Foreign Office establishment.

They seemed to be more offended about the timing and the manner of the leak of this information, rather than the content itself.

Mr. Pillai had said that the evidence against the ISI emerged from the interrogation by Indian officials of a Chicago man, David Headley, who pleaded guilty to working with the Lashkar-e-Taiba to plan the attacks.