India-Pak to discuss Kashmir, CDP

Islamabad, Jan 13 (UNI) India and Pakistan will hold discussions here today on several contentious issues including Kashmir and cross-border terrorism with Islamabad stressing on President Musharraf's four point formula and New Delhi demanding reining in of terrorists.

The two sides will also discuss Siachen and Sir Creek, opening of consulates in Karachi and Mumbai, implementation of the South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) and the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will hold discussions with his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri in the back drop of warmth in bilateral relations that have made resolution of disputes a reality.

Although not much is expected from today's meetings, but officials here said it would give a definite forward push to improvement in relations.

The External Affairs Minister, immediately after his arrival at the Chaklala Airport here, will call on President Pervez Musharraf to extend an invitation to him for attending the 14th SAARC Summit to be held in New Delhi in April.

He will also call on Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and later hold meeting with his counterpart.

Tomorrow, Mr Mukherjee is scheduled to meet some political leaders and later visit the ancient historical site of Taxila, on the outskirts of Islamabad, which was the seat of Mauryan empire.

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