India opens door to talks with Pakistan

INDIA’S prime minister has opened the door slightly to talks with Pakistan and it is now up to Islamabad to step into the room, analysts and officials said yesterday.

Atal Behari Vajpayee returned from a rare visit to the bloodied Kashmir region saying he was ready to make a fresh start with Pakistan but Islamabad must reciprocate by cracking down on Muslim militants.

"He is trying to put the Pakistanis in a spot," said independent foreign affairs analyst K Subrahmanyam. "It's a test for them and for the Americans, who have been calling for dialogue. We don't know if Pakistan will play ball."