03 August 2004	Tuesday	16 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425

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NEW DELHI, Aug 2: A five-member delegation arrived here from Pakistan on Monday to explore ways to boost friendly exchanges between the two countries, a widely applauded search that may largely try to ease their respective visa regimes, officials said.

Opening bilateral tourism was a key issue, they added. The two-day dialogue will be led on Pakistan's side by Syed Jalil Abbas, Federal Secretary for Tourism and Culture, and for India by Union Culture Secretary Neena Ranjan.

The Pakistani delegation includes Directors-General in the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior, Religious Affairs and Information. The dialogue is one of the eight points in the India-Pakistan Composite Dialogue Process.

A second high-power, eight-member Pakistan delegation headed by Defence Secretary Lt-Gen (Retd) Hamid Nawaz Khan would arrive here on Wednesday to hold discussions on the Siachen Glacier from August 5-6.

Another Pakistani delegation headed by Rear Admiral Ahsan-ul-Haq Chaudhry, Additional Secretary of Defence Division, would reach New Delhi on Thursday to hold discussions on Sir Creek on August 6-7.

Pakistan has invited Indian railway officials to visit Islamabad to discuss the early resumption of the disrupted rail link between Rajasthan and Sindh. News reports said Tuesday's talks are likely to focus on liberalising the visa regime between the two nations, easing visa access to journalists, intellectuals and tourists.