Let’s exchange hearts, not dossiers: Malik

ISLAMABAD - Ahead of talks with his Indian counterpart P. Chidambaram, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik Friday urged India not to exchange dossiers, but hearts, and stressed he will satisfy New Delhi’s concerns over Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed, the alleged mastermind of 26/11 Mumbai carnage.

“Let’s exchange hearts and not dossiers. We are meeting with a clean slate,” Malik told the Times Now TV news channel.

Malik added that he would satisfy India’s concerns over Saeed and terrorism.

Chidambaram has arrived in Islamabad here for a meeting of SAARC home ministers Saturday.

This is the first ministerial visit from the Indian side to Pakistan since 10 Pakistani terrorists killed 166 people in Mumbai in a terror spree Nov 26-29 2008, leading to the suspension of the composite dialogue between the two countries.

During his meeting with Malik, Chidambaram is expected to press for concrete action against Saeed and press for voice samples of the handlers of the 26/11 terrorists.

Last week, India gave a dossier containing specific sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) under which Saeed is wanted in India. Pakistan had cited legal difficulties in prosecuting Saeed.

Chidambaram will also seek to know from his counterpart the status of the trial of seven Pakistanis involved in the Mumbai terror attack, official sources said.

Ahead of his visit to Islamabad Friday, Chidambaram set a positive tone by clearing the release of four Pakistanis in Indian prisons, reciprocating a recent goodwill gesture by Islamabad.