NEW DELHI, 6 April 2008 — Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to visit Pakistan soon to hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Yousaf Raza Gilani to further normalize relations between the two neighbors. It would be his first visit to Pakistan since he took over as prime minister in 2004. The last Indian prime minister to visit Pakistan was Atal Behari Vajpayee of the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party who attended the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit there in January 2004.
Though no dates have been announced yet, Manmohan Singh is expected to visit Pakistan sometime in the next two months, official sources said. Singh’s visit will be in response to a longstanding invitation from Pakistan.
With the installation of a new government in Pakistan, the “hurdles” because of which Manmohan Singh could not visit that country throughout 2007 have been removed, official sources said.
Several other dignitaries are expected to visit Pakistan before that to prepare for Singh’s visit. They include Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon. He is likely to visit Islamabad this month to establish first contact with the newly elected Pakistani government and review the fourth round of India-Pakistan composite dialogue.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will follow suit. Earlier this week, Mukherjee telephoned his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi to congratulate him on his appointment and also discuss the possibilities of scheduling their first meeting. The two agreed to hold talks as soon as possible. On this, Mukherjee said: “We have sought the resumption of the composite dialogue process...We will review it at an early date.”
Qureshi said yesterday in Karachi that Mukherjee had been extended an invitation to visit Pakistan, the dates of which were being worked out.
Aside from reviewing the progress of the composite dialogue, stalled since October, the ministers are expected to announce the fifth round of the dialogue during Mukherjee’s visit.
The process of holding composite dialogue covering several issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, began in 2004. It stalled over the past few months because of political developments in Pakistan. With a new government in power in Pakistan, it is for Islamabad to propose dates for the meetings, which would conclude the fourth round of the dialogue.
Indian Petroleum Minister Murli Deora is also expected to visit Pakistan. His visit would be directed toward resolving certain issues related to the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline. Deora was earlier scheduled to visit Pakistan on April 3 to discuss the pipeline project but he decided to delay the trip.
Deora confidently said yesterday that he would be meeting officials of both countries on April 23, most probably in Pakistan. Asserting that there were not many differences between the parties concerned, Deora said: “We hope to resolve the issue soon. There are only some pricing and cess issues to be discussed.”
