Pakistan, India agree on timetable for future dialogue

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, February 18, 2004

Pakistan, India agree on timetable for future dialogue

Pakistan and India reached an agreement Tuesday on a framework for future dialogue on all outstanding issues including Kashmir, 18 months after they almost went to war.

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Pakistan and India reached an agreement Tuesday on a framework for future dialogue on all outstanding issues including Kashmir, 18 months after they almost went to war.

"A broad understanding was reached on the modalities and timeframe for commencing the composite dialogue," said a statementissued after the officials of both sides concluded their two-day talks here.

The statement said all the recommendations put forward during the talks will be submitted Wednesday to the foreign secretaries' meeting. Although it did not give any more details, India and Pakistan are expected to set up eight groups to tackle the Kashmirdispute, build confidence and deal with issues such as nuclear arms, terrorism, drugs and trade.

According to diplomatic sources, the two sides will discuss thepossibility of a Kashmir bus service and a train and bus route between Pakistan's southern Sindh province and India's northwestern Rajasthan state.

By far, Pakistan and India have actively pushed ahead the talks,but it is widely believed that before India's elections slated forApril, New Delhi will move cautiously.

Low-level officials from Pakistan and India started their firsttalks Monday after two years' suspension. They focused on modalities, structure and timeframe for their future dialogue.

The talks are widely seen as a prelude for continued peace talks between the two South Asian neighbors. In recent months, India and Pakistan have moved to restore transportation links and diplomatic ties.

In addition, Indian External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha announced Saturday that India would go ahead with the cricket matches to be held in Pakistan later this month. Pakistani ForeignOffice then said that Islamabad hoped to resume sports links with New Delhi after two years of suspension.

The two sides have fought three wars, two of which were triggered by the Kashmir dispute. They have been never engaged in an one-on-one dialogue since the end of 2001, when a terror attackon the Indian parliamentary house was blamed on Pakistan for alleged back-up.

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