ISLAMABAD, 14 July 2004 — Pakistan and India agreed yesterday to talks on a series of issues as part of a composite dialogue ahead of a meeting between their foreign ministers next month, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said.
The nuclear armed South Asian rivals engaged in resolving the divisive issues would hold six rounds of talks, three in each capital, starting later this month, the ministry said in a statement.
Talks on controversial Wullar Barrage navigation project were scheduled for July 28-29 in Islamabad, it said.
India started building Wullar Barrage or Tulbal Navigation Project in 1984 on Jhelum River which Pakistran says violated the 1963 water treaty between the neighbors.
Dialogue on promotion of friendly exchanges have been scheduled for Aug. 3-4, in Mew Delhi and Siachen glacier dispute Aug. 5-6 and demarcation of marshy land of Sir Creek lying between Indian state of Gujarat and southern Pakistan’s Sindh province Aug. 6-7, also in New Delhi.
In Islamabad, the two countries will discuss terrorism and drug trafficking from Aug. 10-11, while talks on economic and commercial cooperation will be held here from Aug. 11-12.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri and his Indian counterpart Natwar Singh will meet in Islamabad on Aug. 25 to “review overall progress” of the dialogue process, the statement said.
India and Pakistan have already held two rounds of talks on peace and security including confidence building measures and the festering dispute of Kashmir in New Delhi from June 27-28.
Those talks resulted in a joint statement in which the nuclear-armed neighbors pledged to “continue the sustained and serious dialogue to find a peaceful, negotiated final settlement” of the Kashmir dispute.
An insurgency has raged on the Indian side of Kashmir since 1989, with New Delhi accusing Pakistan of funding and training the rebels. Pakistan says it only provides moral support to an “indigenous” uprising which has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
