ISLAMABAD, April 30: A seven-member Pakistani delegation will leave for New Delhi on Monday to hold talks on trans-Kashmir trade, launch of a new bus service and establishing meeting points along the Line of Control. The two-day talks will begin on Tuesday.
The Pakistan team, headed by Foreign Ministry (South Asia Division) director-general Syed Ibne Abbas, included senior officials of the ministries of commerce, interior and defence besides AJK government representative.
The Indian delegation would be led by Ministry of External Affairs (Pakistan Desk) Joint secretary Dilip Sinha.
During the talks the two sides would work out modalities for starting a truck service for trade on the Muzzafarabad-Srinagar route, launching the Rawalakot-Poonch bus service and setting up four meeting points along the LoC, two on each side of the divide.
They would be the most significant Kashmir-related CBMs since the launch of Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service last April and subsequent agreement on opening five crossing points along the LoC.
Signals from both sides suggested that effort would be made to make them operational by June.
The decision to start a truck service for trade and establish Rawalakot-Poonch bus link was taken at the Musharraf-Manmohan summit talks in New Delhi last April and reflected in the April 18, 2005 joint statement.
The proposal of establishing meeting points for day-long interaction between Kashmiris on both sides of the LoC was mooted by the Indian side last year.
The landmark Indo-Pakistan agreement on Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service marked the first major breakthrough on the Kashmir front.
