South Asian nuclear neighbors meet

KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- Senior Pakistani and Indian officials have met -- just hours after Pakistan's president held out "the hand of genuine friendship" to India.

Tensions are high between the two nuclear nations after an attack on the Indian parliament which India blames on Pakistan-based militants.

Jaswant Singh, India's external affairs minister and Abdul Sattar, Pakistan's foreign minister met at the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

The leaders of Pakistan and India have not held a meeting before now despite continued international pressure.

Relations between the two have plummeted to their lowest level in decades following a deadly attack on the Indian parliament in December.

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Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf told a meeting of South Asian leaders in Nepal on Saturday he was ready "to extend the hand of genuine, sincere friendship" to India.

He then walked over to the Indian Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, and shook his hand -- a gesture that was reciprocated with a smile from the Indian leader.

After Musharraf's gesture Vajpayee, in is his own summit address, called on the Pakistani leader to turn his offer into action and end what he called the "mindless violence" being committed by terrorists on Indian soil.

"Terrorism has to be countered in a global and comprehensive manner," Vajpayee said.

"The international community has agreed that no country will allow its soil to be used actively or passively to finance, shelter, arm, or train terrorist groups."

'Sustained dialogue'

The tensions between India and Pakistan have taken center stage at the meeting in Kathmandu of the seven nation SAARC.

The standoff between South Asia's two nuclear powers was sparked by the December 13 suicide attack on parliament in New Delhi, which India has blamed on Pakistan-based militants.

In his speech to summit leaders Saturday Musharraf said peace between India and Pakistan was essential to the security of the region.

"My government remains ready to engage in serious and sustained dialogue with India at all times and all levels," he said. "Peace and tranquility between Pakistan and India are essential for progress."

In comments addressed at Vajpayee he added: "Let us together commence a journey of peace, harmony and progress in South Asia."

In his own speech less than an hour later Vajpayee avoided direct reference to Pakistan until the final closing words, saying he would be betraying his people if he did not chart a course for talks with India's neighbor.

"I am glad that President Musharraf extended a hand of friendship to me," Vajpayee said at the end of his speech.

'Mindless violence'

"I have shaken his hand in your presence. Now, President Musharraf must follow this gesture by not permitting any activity in Pakistan or any territory in its control today which enables terrorists to perpetrate mindless violence in India."

Referring to Kashmir he described the issues surrounding the disputed region as "historical baggage that must be jettisoned."

The widely anticipated SAARC meeting was to have begun Friday but was postponed until Saturday by the late arrival of Musharraf whose flight from Beijing was delayed by bad weather.

The summit is the first time the Indian and Pakistani leaders have met since the attack on the Indian parliament and it comes as both countries engage in their biggest military buildup in 15 years.

India says the militants behind the attack receive financial and military support from Islamabad and has demanded that Pakistan take action to close down terrorist groups.

Pakistan has denied the Indian charges although on Friday authorities moved to detain scores of militants, including some from groups blamed for the parliament attack.

In his speech Saturday Musharraf said Pakistan was fully committed to eliminating terrorism and terrorist groups.

India has said it reserves the right to carry out military strikes against Pakistan if it does not meet its demands for a crackdown on militant activities.

Pressure to talk

With Musharraf and Vajpayee both in Kathmandu both leaders are under heavy international pressure to use the occasion to begin resolving their problems through dialogue.

Tens of thousands of troops are engaged in a tense stand-off across the India-Pakistan border and diplomats have warned that even a minor exchange of fire could quickly escalate into a wider conflict between the two nuclear-armed nations.

Among those hoping to kickstart talks between the two sides is British Prime Minister Tony Blair who says he hopes to exert a "calming influence" on India and Pakistan.

Blair is in South Asia on a previously scheduled trip and arrived in the southern Indian city of Bangalore Friday after visiting Bangladesh. Later he is to travel to Pakistan for talks with Musharraf.

He is urging New Delhi and Islamabad to show restraint, warning that mounting tensions between the two regional powers could seriously harm global stability.

On Friday evening Musharraf and Vajpayee attended at a pre-summit banquet hosted by Nepal's King Gyanendra.

However, officials said they did not make direct contact with each other.

Both men have said they do not want war, but neither appears optimistic that any substantive face-to-face meeting might take place in Kathmandu.

The one-day delay in proceedings has led summit organizers to cancel a retreat scheduled for Saturday near Mount Everest that had been seen as the most opportune time for Vajpayee and Musharraf to meet away from the media spotlight.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since gaining independence from Britain in 1947 -- two of them over the disputed Muslim-majority region of Kashmir.