Composite talks to get impetus by the year end
By Uzma Zafar

ISLAMABAD—Foreign Secretaries of Pakistan and India met Thursday to review the progress in the ongoing peace process as the two countries would begin the third round of talks under the composite dialogue by the end of 2005.
Foreign Secretary Riaz Ahmed Khan told reporters after talks with his Indian counterpart Shayam Saran, it was a preparatory meeting before the review of the composite dialogue process by their foreign ministers, who are scheduled to meet from October 3-5.
Khan said foreign-secretary level meeting used to be held on the eve of the foreign ministers’ meeting, but it was decided to hold it in advance as there was an important meeting to take place between President General Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New York on the margins of the UN General Assembly.
Describing his meeting with the Indian foreign Secretary as good and positive, Khan said they covered the entire gamut of Pakistan-India relations and the progress made at the meetings held under the second round of composite dialogue process during the last one year.
“Both sides agreed on the integrity of the composite dialogue process,” he added.
A joint statement on the meeting is to be issued on Friday.
The two secretaries discussed the progress on 8-point agenda including Jammu and Kashmir, Peace and Security, Siachen, Sir Creek, economic and cultural exchanges, terrorism and drug trafficking.
The two sides agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreed earlier on the prior notification of missile testing by the two countries.
Foreign Minister Khurshid M. Kasuri and his Indian counterpart Natwar Singh will ink the agreement when they meet in October to review the progress on peace process.
Responding to a question, he said, the decision to revive Pakistan-India Commission was taken during the meeting between President General Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on April 18.
Officials of the two sides would now meet to discuss format and the mandate of the Commission which last met in 1989.
On the date of the Commission’s meeting, Khan said it would be premature to say anything before the foreign ministers’ meeting in October.
The Foreign Secretary said that the third round of talks under the composite dialogue process would hopefully start from the end of the current year.
To a question, he said the issue of Kashmir was discussed within the framework of the composite dialogue of December, 2004 at the foreign-secretary level.
Khan said the Kashmir issue had been discussed at all levels and the dispute would be on the top of the talks between President Musharraf and Prime Minister Singh.