Talks with India on combating narcotics, terrorism
NEW DELHI, May 28: Home secretaries of India and Pakistan will hold talks on terrorism and drugs smuggling on May 30 and 31 in Islamabad within the ambit of the third round of composite dialogue.
Heading a nine-member Indian delegation, Home Secretary V. K. Duggal will leave for Pakistan on Monday for talks with his Pakistani counterpart Syed Kamal Shah.
The two sides will also take up the issue of exchange of prisoners detained for inadvertently crossing the border, Pakistan’s Interior Secretary Kamal Shah has been quoted as saying. The two sides will also discuss cooperation in combating terrorism, human and drug trafficking and other organised crimes.
In the run-up to the talks, both sides decided to release some fishermen. India is releasing 59 Pakistani fishermen while Pakistan has announced it will release 71 Indians.
The issues of prisoners and exchange of fishermen, jailed for transgressing into territorial waters, will prominently figure in the talks between the Secretaries.
An official said that the two countries were already cooperating to a certain extent in combating the narcotics trade and the officials would try to enhance this cooperation and eventually work out a memorandum of understanding to curb narcotics trade in the region.
Talks on combating terrorism and drug-trafficking will be followed by a meeting on June 1 and 2 in New Delhi between culture secretaries of the two countries on promoting friendly exchanges.—APP
