ISLAMABAD, 15 January 2007 — India’s External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee met Pakistani political party leaders yesterday, a day after talks that heralded a new phase in a three-year-old peace process that has yet to resolve any territorial disputes.

Among those who called on him were Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain, former president of the Pakistani Muslim League (Q), Afsandyar Wali Khan, president Awami National Party, Makhdum Amin Fahim of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, secretary-general, Muttaheda Majlis-e-Amal and Dr. Mohammed Farooq Sattar, deputy convener of the Muttaheda Qaumi Movement.

In fact all these leaders have visited India along with their respective delegations in the past and in their meeting with Pranab suggested that there should be more contact of political parties from both sides.

Pranab is the first Indian foreign minister to have visited Pakistan in 15 months, and while there were no fresh accords struck on Saturday there were plenty of commitments by the nuclear-armed rivals. He left for home yesterday after his two-day visit to Pakistan.

“There is a new level of atmospherics. There is greater hope. There is greater realization on the part of both sides, but we have to wait until something concrete comes out,” said Talat Masood, a former army general turned analyst.

Former Indian Foreign Secretary Shashank saw both governments working on solutions, but was cautious about the chances of reaching lasting settlements on issues such as Kashmir.

“It is unsure if the two sides can get support from their political constituents,” he said.

Yesterday, Pranab visited Taxila, an ancient seat of learning and Buddhist center near the capital Islamabad.

“It shows we share common heritage and common culture. This commonality brings us together to resolve present crises in the spirit of understanding and amity,” he told reporters in Taxila.

After Saturday’s talks it was announced Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmud Kasuri will visit India in February to seal three more confidence-building measures, including agreements to reduce risks of nuclear-related accidents, to ease restrictions on visas and the return of people held for accidentally crossing the border.

However, the core problem remains Kashmir, the divided Himalayan region.

A fourth round of the composite dialogue, as the peace process is known, will also begin in March, and there will also be a visit by Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to New Delhi that month for a South Asia regional summit.

So far there has been little headway on Kashmir.

A major plus from the talks was an assurance, according to External Affairs Ministry officials, by President Pervez Musharraf to allow families of missing persons from the 1965 and 1971 wars entry into Pakistan to ascertain their whereabouts.

“Considering that most of the families are from Punjab and have been refused permission all these years to visit Pakistan, this is a major positive,” said a high commission official.

After a three-hour long, one-on-one meeting, Pranab and Kasuri decided that the first meeting of the newly set up joint counter-terrorism mechanism will be held in March.

Kasuri will travel to New Delhi next month for a meeting that will revive the India-Pakistan Joint Commission that has not met since October 2005.