Manmohan Singh to visit Pakistan this year

Islamabad, May 22 : Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan is likely to visit Pakistan sometime this year.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee announced this at a joint press conference after delegation-level talks that were focused on a review of progress made on the fourth round of composite dialogue between the two countries.

"It has been decided that this visit (of the Indian Prime Minister) will take place this year," Qureshi said adding that "No, we cannot say it will happen this month. Both sides want that before the visit, there should be sufficient progress, for which the chances are very bright."

Qureshi will visit India in June on the invitation of Mukherjee.

This will be the Indian Prime Minister's first visit to Pakistan after the newly formed democratic government assumed office in Islamabad. The last Prime Minister to visit Pakistan was Atal Behari Vajpayee in January 2004 for the 12th SAARC Summit.

Mukherjee was in Islamabad to review the fourth round of the composite dialogue process that was first initiated in 2004.

Mukherjee said India is committed to the dialogue and wants to see "substantial progress on all outstanding issues" so that there can be economic development in the two neighbouring countries.

Mukherjee who also called on President Pervez Musharraf and met Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari, said that Pakistan is committed to the peace process with India and wanted to resolve all outstanding issues prevailing between the two countries through dialogue.

Musharraf said that he welcomed the resumption of the composite dialogue and hoped it would lead to "'some substantial conclusion".

ANI