The Pakistani establishment is looking cautiously into the progress made in relations with India and planning to move carefully as the two countries head towards normalisation of relations following the home minister-level talks.
"The parlays between Rehman Malik and P Chidambaram, declared successful at the level of satisfaction by both the governments, brought some new breakthroughs that are unprecedented but two sides will wait to act on the pledges to see that the trust is developing indeed," a top interior ministry official said.
"Although we have announced the cooperation between civilian intelligence agencies of the two nations and Pakistan has ensured to act against the Mumbai attacks culprits, it does not mean that we will start getting advice from India or they would follow our directives. Instead we will see how this cooperation works and what we can mutually get out of it against terrorism," the official, who has his role in the policy implementation, said on the conditions of anonymity.
"It is not that India is the only victim of the terrorism, but we have suffered the most in the recent years, this cooperation is in the benefit of both the nations but it will take time to start," he said.
He said Pakistan had received the latest dossier about the Mumbai attacks, which also contained information linked to American terror suspect David Coleman Headley, and handed it over to the intelligence officials, who are measuring the new information.
"India has also sought a mechanism, which can ensure that there would be no future terrorist attack, but no one can ensure it," he said, adding that giving the guarantee that there would be no future terrorist attack in India or Pakistan will mean that the former attacks in two countries are linked with each other.
"They have expressed fear that some groups are still planning future attacks in India particularly in the reference with the upcoming Commonwealth Games in October this year and we have assured them that Pakistan will stand against any act of terror.
"Our stance is clear, we are against terrorism and will condemn it wherever it happens. We are working to stop terrorists using our land and will do everything to make it possible either it is against India or any other country," the official said.
Meanwhile, a source in a top intelligence agency said that Pakistan will not move ahead if India fails to respond. "Look, this is reciprocal. We will not move an inch if they don't act according to our needs, this is a two-way traffic," he said.
He said that there are two opinions even inside the government and one quarter of the decision-makers demand clear guarantees from India. "We have also handed over some evidence regarding the involvement of Indians in Balochistan and FATA, and need some type of assurance that they will stop interfering in our areas," he said.
The experts also believe that none of the two countries will move on the pledges before getting a clear-cut assurance that the other partner is sincere in the effort.
"It seems from the recent talks that both countries have moved forward and buried their past. But only actions will show that how practical these steps are," said Imtiaz Gul, a senior security analyst and Executive Director of Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS).
"As long as the mistrust remains it is very difficult to act together. The outcome of these talks will depend on the removal of mistrust. The translation of these pledges into actions and steps is a key for such level of mechanism and cooperation," he said.
