Indian Home Minister G K Pillais statement that inch by inch New Delhi is moving forward for settlement of issues with Pakistan is nothing but pure fiction. He in fact did not mention which these 'issues were. This is the sort of humbug that the Indian leadership is well accustomed to while commenting on relations with Pakistan. The obvious aim is to hoodwink the international community particularly the USA into believing that it is India that is sincere in easing tensions in South Asia. What lends credibility to the fact that Mr Pillai was actually trying to be smart, is the warning by Indian Union Minister of State for Communications Sachin Pilot that Kashmir was Indias integral part. If New Delhi is really serious in settling outstanding issues with Islamabad as the Indian Home Minister would have us believe then one wonders why have they taken out the most basic ingredient of the bilateral talks from the dialogue process and indeed the core issue that spoils relations between the two countries which is none other than the nuclear flashpoint of Kashmir. Also, Mr Pillai through his statement that India has flushed out all freedom fighters of Hizbul Mujahadeen, and that invitation to the Mujahideen leadership for talks was not under consideration reinforces the usual Indian stand of suppressing the Kashmiris inalienable right to self-determination endorsed by the UNSC resolutions of 1948. The Indian governments agenda has been to keep out Kashmir from being discussed at the conference table and in its place bring up the issue of terrorism as the central issue. If truth be told, they have already succeeded in making Islamabad acquiesce to this strategy for the past many years. The pity is that we have been rather sheepish enough in allowing the Indians play this game with us to such an extent that oftentimes our leaders would show willingness to rush to negotiations even without Kashmir. A case in point was of course Prime Minister Gilanis recent meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Mohali where one had thought that the keenness to watch the World Cup semi-final would not prevail over his binding obligation to discuss Kashmir issue. Instead, the premiers statement on terrorism and Pakistans role in eliminating it gave the impression as if he was speaking for the Indians. Under the circumstances, Islamabad should make it crystal clear to New Delhi that there would be no negotiations without Kashmir. Good relationship demands that the core issue be settled first.