Islamabad, December 14
Pakistan has handed over to India a "new set of proposals" aimed at resuming the stalled bilateral dialogue and gradually addressing all longstanding issues, a media report said today.

The proposals were handed over to the Indian side on Thursday by Tariq Fatemi, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs, The Express Tribune daily reported. The proposals were included in a letter from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif inviting his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh to Pakistan. The letter contained a roadmap for reviving the stalled peace process between the two sides, the daily quoted its sources as saying.

Fatemi was part of a delegation led by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the premier's younger brother, that travelled to Delhi and India's Punjab state this week.

Under the roadmap, Pakistan has proposed arranging a meeting between the National Security Advisers (NSAs) of the two sides to iron out differences over resuming the composite dialogue.

During a meeting with the Indian envoy on Wednesday, had proposed that there should be a institutionalised mechanism for meetings between the NSAs to discuss terrorism and allay concerns of both sides.

In the letter, Prime Minister Sharif said his government was willing to go "the extra mile" to improve ties with India, the daily reported. He suggested that issues like Sir Creek and Siachen should be settled through "backdoor diplomacy". — PTI