ISLAMABAD, 1 September 2005 — Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran arrived in Islamabad for a three-day visit yesterday that will conclude the second round of the composite dialogue process and search for a new framework for continuing the peace talks between the countries.
Besides reviewing an entire gamut of bilateral relations, Saran will discuss with his Pakistani counterpart Riaz Mohammed Khan the case of Sarabjit Singh, an alleged Indian spy who is facing execution in Pakistan, and the issue of Indian prisoners languishing in Pakistani jails.
“All bilateral issues will be discussed. Now that the second round of composite dialogue process is ending, we will have explored the form under which future dialogue will be conducted,” Saran added.
“We will have to decide whether the composite dialogue will still need to be carried on in the future and also discuss the precise mandate of the Joint Commission which will meet sometime later this year,” he said.
Saran flew into Lahore late yesterday, officials said. The top officials of the two countries will hold high-level talks today to nudge forward their slow-moving peace process and set the agenda for a rare meeting between their leaders, officials said.
“It is an important meeting and it comes at the end of the second round of talks” under the so-called “composite dialogue” between the two sides, said Foreign Office spokesman Naeem Khan.
The Indian official’s arrival comes two weeks before Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan are due to meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly conference.
New Delhi and Islamabad launched the peace process in January 2004 and a flood of feel-good measures followed, including a historic bus service across the divided region of Kashmir and the resumption of sporting ties.
Saran was quoted by the Press Trust of India as saying ahead of the talks that there had been “noticeable progress” in some of the issues. “Perhaps the composite dialogue will still need to be carried on in future as well, but perhaps in somewhat of a changed format,” Saran said, without elaborating.
