August 10, 2003	Sunday	Jumadi-us-Sani 11, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 9: Law-makers, experts and journalists from India and Pakistan will begin a two-day conference here on Sunday in a non-governmental effort to foster goodwill between the two countries.

Parliamentarians from almost all major parties of the two countries will be participating in the conference on “Understanding, confidence-building and conflict-resolution” jointly organized by Pakistani and Indian chapters of the South Asia Free Media Association (Safma) with the sponsorship of a Norwegian non-governmental organization, NORAD.

But apart from the opening and closing ceremonies, all the three sittings set for discussion on issues between India and Pakistan have been designated as off-the-record and will not be open for press reporting.

“The objective is to promote unofficial dialogue among public representatives, opinion-makers and experts across all ideological divides in the sub-continent for better understanding of the situation, bilateral relations and contentious issues between the two countries,” a Safma statement said.

The composition of the Indian delegation, which arrived here on Saturday, ranged from the chairman of New Delhi’s Kashmir Committee, Ram Jethmalani, to maverick politician Laloo Prasad Yadav, who was allowed by the Indian Supreme Court on Friday to travel to Pakistan despite a corruption trial he was facing at home.

The Indian parties represented at the conference, according to Safma, would include the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, the Congress party, the Communist Party of India (M), the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Telugu Desham Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party, and the Akali Dal.

From Pakistan, the Pakistan Muslim League-Q, People’s Party Parliamentarians, the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal and Pakistan Muslim League-N would be represented.

National Assembly speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain and Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri will address the opening and concluding sessions, respectively.