New Delhi, August 27
India and Pakistan are expected to stick to their stated positions and go through the motions when the two countries’ Home Secretaries begin their two day talks on August 29 on terrorism and drug trafficking under the composite dialogue framework.

An 11-member Pakistani delegation headed by Interior Secretary Kamal Shah arrived here today for talks with the Indian delegation headed by Home Secretary V.K. Duggal.

The issue of Sarabjit Singh, the condemned Indian prisoner in Pakistan, will figure prominently during the talks, diplomatic sources told The Tribune today. Pakistan has already conveyed its agreement to the Indian request for granting consular access to Sarabjit Singh but till this evening the Ministry of External Affairs was awaiting to know from Islamabad when and where the consular access would materialise.

India will also focus on the fate of 1,347 Indian prisoners, languishing in various Pakistani jails for years. According to Indian records, Pakistan still has 54 PoWs of the 1971 war, but the latter has consistently denied it.

Mr Kamal Shah, who briefly talked to reporters, said usually the agenda for Home Secretary-level talks was terrorism and drug-trafficking. “But this time we have requested that we would like to discuss the issue of prisoners held in both countries,” he said.

India is going to raise the issues of terrorism and deportation of Jaish-e-Mohammed founder Masood Azhar and underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, who according to recent reports in Pakistani media, are based within Pakistan.

New Delhi will convey its concern about a spurt in infiltration and terrorist activities and the continued presence of terrorist training camps in Pakistan or Pakistan-controlled territory.