Pak crisis will not affect peace process with India

New Delhi, May 15 (UNI) The present political turmoil in Pakistan will not affect the ongoing peace process with India and the two countries will continue to negotiate across the board on broader policy issues, sources said here today.

The sources, while commenting on the ongoing violence in Karachi, said that although whatever was happening in Pakistan, was ''not good,'' ties between the two countries were better than the relationship that New Delhi had with a military establishment.

''India has a broader policy for negotiations...We don't conduct negotiations depending upon the nature of the government but a set of rules and then we chase them...,'' the sources said.

Maintaining that India had an ''open mind'' on relations with Pakistan, the sources said Pakistan's situation would not be resolved overnight.

What was happening in Karachi was an example of the political crisis getting out of control and showed the inability of balancing politics.

Asked about India's reaction during the upcoming talks with Islamabad, the sources said it would depend on how they (Pakistani officials) came to the table.

Officials of the two countries will hold the next round of talks on the remaining subjects under the ongoing fourth round of Composite Dialogue Process from June 26.

The next round of discussions on Sir Creek are scheduled to be held on May 17-18 in Islamabad.

Talks on the Tulbal Navigation Project, at the level of Water Resources Secretaries, will be held on June 26-27 in New Delhi while negotiations for Promotion of Friendly Exchanges in Various Fields, at the level of Culture Secretaries, will be held in Islamabad on June 28-29.

Home Secretary-level talks on Terrorism and Drug Trafficking will also be held in New Delhi on July three-four.

Commerce Secretaries of the two countries will meet in New Delhi for talks on Economic and Commercial Cooperation on July 31-August one.

This will be followed by a meeting of the Joint Study Group August two.

The talks are being held following a meeting between the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries in Islamabad on March 13-14 to initiate the Fourth Round of the CDP.

The two Foreign Secretaries also held discussions on Peace and Security including Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs) and Jammu and Kashmir.

So far, three rounds of the CDP have been held between the two countries and both have expressed satisfaction at the progress in the negotiations.

UNI