Composite dialogue to gather pace from Aug 3

The Indo-Pak composite dialogue process would gather pace from next week with top officials of the two countries holding five meetings in Ne...

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The Indo-Pak composite dialogue process would gather pace from next week with top officials of the two countries holding five meetings in New Delhi and Islamabad in quick succession to discuss key issues like Siachen, Sir Creek and improvement in economic and trade ties.

A high-level official delegation of Pakistan, led by Syed Alil Abbas, federal secretary tourism and culture, will arrive in New Delhi tomorrow to attend a two-day meeting from August 3 on promotion of friendly exchanges, which is one of the eight points in the composite dialogue process.

Officials said the two-day meet will focus on enhancing people-to-people contacts by liberalising the visa regime. Steps like easy visa access to journalists, intellectuals and tourists were expected to figure in the discussions.

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After the talks on friendly exchanges, a high-power Pakistan delegation headed by its Defence Secretary arrive in New Delhi on August 4 to discuss Siachen on August 5-6.

The two sides held seven rounds of talks between 1986 and 1998 on Siachen but without any agreement. This time they are expected to discuss the moves to further reduce the number of forces as the ceasefire is prevailing along the LoC, including in Siachen, since November last year.

After the Siachen talks, another high-power Pakistani delegation headed by its Surveyor General would arrive in New Delhi on August 5 to take part in the parleys on Sir Creek boundary issue on August 6-7. The talks on this issue too were held in November 1998.

After this, the scene shifts to Islamabad where the home secretaries of both the countries would meet to discuss terrorism and drug trafficking on August 10-11. It will be followed by talks at the level of commerce secretaries on economic and commercial cooperation on August 11-12.

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The focus of economic talks will be issues like Pakistan granting MFN status to reciprocate India’s gesture under SAARC. The entire dialogue process would be reviewed at a two-day meeting between External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri in New Delhi on September 5-6. —PTI