ISLAMABAD, July 23: Pakistan and the United States on Tuesday initiated talks for reviving Defence Consultative Group as agreed between the leaders of two countries during the visit of President Gen Pervez Musharraf to Washington in February this year.

Additional Secretary of Defence Rear Admiral Irfan Ahmad and Colonel (S) Jeffery Paulk led their respective sides during the preparatory talks held here at the Ministry of Defence, an official press release said.

This preparatory session of DCG would discuss and finalize the points and issues to be taken up in the Defence Consultative Group meeting which would be convened later this year on mutually agreed dates, it said.

The Pak-US Defence Consultative Group was founded in 1984. It was revived in 1995 and since its revival the group has met only on three occasions — in 1995, 1996 and 1997.