Indo-Pak talks on Kashmir-related CBMs today

Islamabad, July 18 : The meeting of the Pakistan-India Technical Working Group on Kashmir-related CBMs will be held here today.

Earlier, the meeting was scheduled for July 10, but was postponed on India's request. India had requested to postpone the talks as its head of the delegation had to rush to Afghanistan due to an emergency situation there in the aftermath of suicide bomb blast outside the Indian embassy in Kabul, killing 41 persons, including four Indians.

A team of eight Indian officials, led by MEA Joint Secretary TCA Raghavan will participate in the talks. The Pakistan side will be led by Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhary, Director-General (South Asia) in the Pakistan Foreign Office.

Representatives of various ministries of both countries will also participate in the talks.

The meeting is being held ahead of the talks between the Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan in New Delhi on July 21-22 to launch the fifth round of the composite dialogue.

The two countries are expected to discuss new Kashmir-related CBMs during the meeting, including modalities for intra-Kashmir trade.

The meeting will realise decisions on across-Line of Control bus, trade and truck services. Two bus services operate across the LoC: between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, and between Poonch and Rawalakot. These services were announced in May 2008 in Islamabad after a meeting of Foreign Ministers of both countries.

Lists of items to be traded through the truck service will also be considered during the meeting.

The first meeting of the Working Group was held in New Delhi in May 2006.

ANI