Admitting that terrorism in Pakistan and Afghanistan was spilling on to Indian territory, Imtiaz Alam, general secretary of the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) maintained that some mechanism should be developed at the SAARC level. “I share the disappointment of the government here for failure to develop a joint programme. Our agonies and blood is common and so should be our approach (to terrorism),” said Alam.

While the peace mission tried to iron out differences following the Mumbai terror attacks, every pointed finger in the interactive session was countered. Responding to a question on why the peace mission did not choose to first sort out issues of home grown terror, a journalist in the delegation retorted, “The same question should be put to you (India).”

A section of the Indian media was unsparing, with caustic questions like, “If Kasab was a Pakistani, why deny it?” To this most delegates admitted that it had been a mistake and the Pakistani government should have owned up at the very first instance. Alam, however, subtly added, “Parents do deny the existence of such kids.”