M A I N   N E W S

Saran in Pak for second round of talks

Islamabad, December 25
Indian Foreign Secretary Shaym Saran arrived in Pakistan today for the second round of the Indo-Pak Composite Dialogue beginning here Monday, saying the focus would be on building trust in nuclear and conventional fields and narco-trafficking.

“This time the main focus would be laid during talks with my counterpart (Riaz Khokar) at Islamabad to build mutual trust in nuclear and conventional fields and to counter narcotics trafficking,” Mr Saran told reporters before crossing over to Pakistan through the Wagah border.

“We have already narrowed down differences on issues like visa relaxations, which has already produced good results,” Mr Saran said. On his arrival, Mr Saran and his official delegation was received by Pakistan protocol officials, Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Shivshankar Menon and Deputy High Commissioner T.C.A. Raghavan.

Later Mr Saran left by air to Peshawar, provincial capital of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), where he would stay today and tomorrow. He is due to arrive in the evening here tomorrow and take part in the second round of the Composite Dialogue talks with his Pakistani counterpart, Riaz Khokar on December 27 and 28.

The two Foreign Secretaries would formally kick start the second round with discussions on Jammu and Kashmir, peace and security and CBMs.

They would also fix a calendar of officials meets to discuss the other six issues of the Composite Dialogue which included Siachen, Sir Creek, Wullar Barrage, Economic and Commercial Cooperation, Terrorism and Drug Trafficking and Promotion of Friendly Exchanges in various fields.

Not much progress has been achieved in the first round of the dialogue process held early this year following which the two countries agreed to hold the second round.

Besides the contentious issues listed in the Composite Dialogue process, the two officials were expected to discuss issues like resolving differences over documents to be carried by passengers of the proposed Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service to connect the two sides of the Kashmir and hydro electric project being built by India on the Chenab at Baglihar in Jammu and Kashmir. — PTI