Pak Foreign Minister Kasuri arrives to talk peace

New Delhi, Feb 20: A day after the Samjhauta Express explosions,Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri arrived here today ona three-day official visit to co-chair the revived India-Pakistan JointCommission Meeting (JCM) and hold talks with External Affairs MinisterPranab Mukherjee on carrying forward the peace process.

He was received at the airport by Mr N Ravi, Secretary (East) in the External Affairs Ministry.

During the visit, the two countries will sign an Agreement on'Reducing the Risk from Accidents Relating to Nuclear Weapons' afterthe Joint Commission Meeting tomorrow, an External Affairs Ministryspokesman said here.

This will be the fifth JCM of the two countries.

Terrorism is set to dominate the agenda of talks between Mr Kasuriand Indian leaders as the visit comes a day after the Samjhauta Expresstrain blast in which at least 66 people were killed.

The Pakistan Foreign Minister who will have discussions with MrMukherjee, is expected to present a fresh set of proposals includingthe one on liberalising the 1974 visa regime between the two countries,official sources said.

Siachen issue is also likely to come up during discussions between the two Foreign Ministers, the sources said.

The meeting between the two Foreign Ministers will be their third during the past four months.

The two countries had established a Joint Commission in March 1983 for strengthening cooperation in various fields.

However, only three meetings could be held between 1983 and 1989after which it did not meet following a downslide in relations betweenthe two countries.

It was revived during President Pervez Musharraf's visit to Indiain April 2005. Consequently, Mr Mukherjee had, during his last monthvisit to Pakistan, extended an invitation to Mr Kasuri to visit NewDelhi for the JCM.

Six of the eight Technical-level JWGs on Agriculture, Health,Science and Technology, IT and Telecommunications, Environment andTourism have already met in 2006. The remaining two--Education andInformation--will meet on February 20.

Mr Kasuri will have a meeting with the External Affairs Ministertomorrow which will be followed by the JCM. It will be followed bysigning of the agreement on Nuclear Risk reduction. He will call onPrime Minister Manmohan Singh in the evening. During the three-dayvisit, Mr Kasuri will also have a meeting with Hurriyat leadersincluding hardliner Ali Shah Gilani, at the Pakistan High Commissionhere. Both factions of the Hurriyat Conference have been invited forthe talks.

Mr Kasuri said in Islamabad yesterday that the attack on board theSamjhauta Express must not be allowed to derail people-to-peoplecontact between the two countries and that the peace process should begiven momentum despite hiccups.

He said that while co-chairing the JCM is the main objective ofhis visit, he would discuss how to provide better security fortravellers from Pakistan and India in each other's countries.

The Pakistan Foreign Minister said he would try to convince theHurriyat leaders to support the India-Pakistan peace process as it wasgood for both the countries and also Kashmiris.

According to the sources, Pakistan has demanded doing away withpolice reporting for certain categories, allowing senior citizens of 65years of age and above visas on arrival, increase in the number ofreligious sites to be visited by each side and the duration of visitfor businessmen.

The two countries had last month, during Mr Mukherjee's visit toIslamabad, decided to allow diplomats from either country to visitGurgaon and Noida in India and Taxila and Hasanabdal (Pakistan).

Mr Kasuri is leading a 17-member official delegation at the Joint Commission meeting.

The Pakistani delegation includes Additional Secretary (UN) TariqOsman Hyder, Director-General of South Asia Division Jalil AbbasJilani, Director-General of Foreign Minister's Office Khalid Mahmud andDirector (India) Irfan Ahmed.

Meanwhile, a delegation from the Petroleum Ministry will visitIslamabad on February 22-23 for further discussions on theIran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project.

The delegation, to be led by Petroleum Secretary M S Srinivasan,will hold discussions on various aspects of the multi-billion dollarproject including the transit fee and security of the pipeline whichpasses through Pakistan before it reaches Indian shores.

UNI

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