Visiting Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf ended his hectic meetings with Indian leaders on Sunday by achieving remarkable results in pushing forward the peace process with India.

During his two-and-half-hour-long talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi, both sides agreed to establish the rail link between Munabao in India's Rajasthan and Khokhrapar in Pakistan's Sindh province by December.

The two leaders also agreed to raise the frequency of Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service linking the separate Kashmir and significantly improve their trade ties by reviving the bilateral joint commission which last met in 1989.

They also agreed to set up a joint business council to intensify contacts between the private sectors of the two countries.

Emerging from the talks, Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran told reporters here that the issue of the disputed Kashmir came upduring the discussions, adding that Singh was in favor of increased transportation, border movement of people, cross-line ofcontrol and border trade to help the process and to resolve more complex problems in the future.

The prime minister referred to the assurance given in last January's joint statement that no part of Pakistani territory would be used for terrorist activities against India and this had helped in opening up opportunities, improving relations and takingthem forward.

Saran said a joint statement, which would be issued Monday, wasbeing worked out detailing the specifics of the discussions that covered issues like Siachen, Baglihar, Sir Creek, opening up of more points along the Line of Control in Kashmir and reopening of respective consulates in Karachi and Mumbai, etc.

During the talks, Manmohan Singh made it clear that redrawing of borders in the disputed Kashmir was not possible but he was in favor of bringing the people of two countries together.

Observing that the joint study groups between the two countriesmet in February this year, Saran said issues like high tariff barriers as alleged by Pakistan would be looked into and efforts made to remove them.

Saran added that during the talks, the prime minister gave his vision of the future of South Asia, saying if India and Pakistan, the two largest economies in the region, join hands and bring their creative energies together, it was possible to transform it and ensure its economic prosperity.

The two leaders also discussed the projected transnational pipeline which links Iran, Pakistan and India. Saran said it was noted that this was a worthwhile project and both sides would remain in touch with each other. It was felt that the project should be studied in the context of various other similar projectsin the region.

Before the talks, the two leaders watched the last one-day cricket match between the two countries at the Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium with their wives in New Delhi.

On Sunday, Musharraf also held talks with Indian President A P J Abdul Kalam, the Congress party leader Sonia Gandhi, the opposition leader L K Advani and India-controlled Kashmir's separatist Hurriyat leaders.

Source: Xinhua