Pak, India talks to focus on modalities for LoC opening
By Our Diplomatic Correspondent

ISLAMABAD—Adopting a humanitarian approach following the devastating earthquake, Pakistan and India will hold talks today (Saturday) on opening some points and relief camps along the LoC and finalising modalities to permit Kashmiris on both sides to meet each other.
The one-day talks would “decide the modalities for Kashmiris to cross the LoC to meet each other,” Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam told reporters here on Friday.
Dilip Sinha, Joint Secretary in External Affairs Ministry, would hold talks with Ibne Abbas, Director General of South Asia Division in Pakistan Foreign Office, to reach an agreement on proposals by India and Pakistan to permit visits of Kashmiris on both sides and enable them to avail services of relief camps being set up along the LoC.
Sinha would be leading a six-member delegation while Pakistani side would include officials from ministries of Defence and Interior, officials here said.
Aslam also thanked India for pledging the 25-million-dollar assistance at the UN Conference for the earthquake victims in Geneva yesterday.
Earlier, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf while proposing to open the LoC to enable people on both sides to meet each other said it cannot be “free for all” and would open only to Kashmiris.
Saturday’s talks would also focus on the timeline, documents and category of travellers visiting each other. The two countries are expected to follow modalities of identification agreed for the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service which was suspended after the October 8 earthquake.
Aslam said the position on the ground is that relief is being provided by Pakistani Army and the country’s relief agencies along the Line of Control in Neelum and Jhelum Valleys.
The two valleys close to the LoC were cut off with key roads blocked by landslides.
The relief supplies in these areas were being delivered by helicopters, mules and by foot, she said. Agencies add: Pakistan and India will discuss specific steps to push cross-border cooperation to help victims of the Oct 8 quake in Islamabad on Saturday.
A delegation of top Indian officials led by Dilip Sinha, Joint Secretary In-charge of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran in the External Affairs Ministry arrived here on Friday evening.
The Indian team will also comprise officials from the home ministry, Army Headquarters and the state government of Jammu and Kashmir.
The talks will focus on proposals made by both India and Pakistan to help the victims of the quake across the Line of Control (LoC) that divides Kashmir between the two countries.
Pakistan has suggested the opening of five crossing points at the LoC to facilitate relief and rehabilitation work while India has offered to open three relief centres along the LoC to facilitate meetings between divided Kashmiri families affected by the quake.
These sites were chosen for their easier access and closer proximity to areas affected by the quake that killed over 40,000 in Pakistan and over 1,400 in India.