ISTANBUL, 22 January 2004 — Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf said yesterday talks with India over the divided region of Kashmir would start in February. Musharraf, on an official visit to Turkey, said officials were still working out at what level the talks would be held.
“We are in contact with each other to work on the level of the first dialogue that we ought to have, which will be in February,” Musharraf told reporters.
The talks follow a breakthrough meeting this month between Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in a move to improve ties less than two years after the nuclear rivals came close to war over Kashmir.
A leading Indian newspaper, the Indian Express, had reported on Tuesday that the talks, aimed at resolving a range of disputes, would begin in February, but Indian officials were not available to confirm the report.
Indian Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani is also due to meet Indian Kashmir’s leading moderate separatists in New Delhi on Thursday as part of efforts to end a 14-year uprising.
India and Pakistan resumed cross-border train services last week after a two-year freeze and are talking about opening more transport links, including a bus service between the two capitals of Indian and Pakistani Kashmir.
