Pakistan awaiting India's response to finalize talks schedule

Pakistani Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar Friday said Islamabad is awaiting India's response to finalize the timetable of composite dialogue between the two countries.

Speaking to reporters after a seminar on the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, Khokhar said the talks scheduled to be held in New Delhi in the first week of June has been slightly changed due to change of government in India.

"We are waiting for India's response to finalize the timetable of the talks," he was quoted by the Associated Press of Pakistan as saying.

Khokhar, however, expressed optimism that the composite dialogue between Pakistan and India would continue according to schedule.

Officials from both sides in February agreed to hold talks in a"step by step" manner. Foreign secretaries of the two countries will meet first and then foreign ministers will meet to review the dialogue process in August.

Khokhar said both sides will have to take positive steps to resolve fundamental issues.

He also expressed the hope that the peace process which started early this year will continue and all outstanding disputes including Kashmir between the two countries will be resolved.

Source: Xinhua