New Delhi/Wagah, May 28
Barely days after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's bold initiative to set up five working groups on Kashmir, Union Home Secretary V.K. Duggal left for Islamabad for the Home Secretary-level talks with Pakistan to provide an impetus to the composite dialogue process and launch a full-throttle campaign against terrorism.
Held against the backdrop of a spurt in terror attacks in the Kashmir valley and reports of 59 militant camps operating from across the border. The two-day talks, beginning Tuesday, will discuss issues pertaining to terrorism, the need for increased co-operation on narcotics control and exchange of fishermen and prisoners.
New Delhi has taken a consistent stand that at least 59 terror camps are still operating in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Many of these were destroyed in the October 8, 2005 earthquake, but a number of them have once again become active.
India will remind Pakistan
of its commitments not to allow use of the PoK for terror activities.
The frame-work for the talks has been approved by the PMO and the Home Ministry.
"The emphasis during the talks will be on continuing the peace process and increasing people-to-people contact between the two countries," official sources said.
At the talks, Pakistan will be led by its Interior Secretary Syed Kamal Shah.
Mr Duggal is accompanied by an eight-member delegation, which includes the Director-General, Narcotics Control Bureau, senior officers from the CBI and the External Affairs Ministry.
Escalation in the violent activities in Jammu and Kashmir during the last one month would be the main agenda of talks between the two Home Secretaries when they meet in Islamabad for two-day talks.
Talking to the media here today before crossing over to Pakistan, Mr V.K. Duggal, Union Home Secretary, expressed his concern over the increased incidents of violence in the valley and said that he would convey the Government of India’s views on this issue to his counterpart during the bilateral talks being held on May 30 and 31.
He said he would impress upon the Pakistani Home Secretary for taking steps to hand over the most wanted terrorists to India for paving way to improve relations between the two nations.
