ISLAMABAD, May 7: Late June may be the earliest “tiered” dialogue between Pakistan and India, as proposed by Pakistani Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali, gets underway, officials said on Wednesday.

Hopes are running high for the first talks between the nuclear neighbours in almost two years.

Before any fresh attempt at a prime-ministerial summit, extensive groundwork would have to be laid to avoid another failure, officials said.

Senior officials at ambassador or deputy secretary level, “will meet probably sometime in late June to do the initial spadework like setting an agenda,” a government official said.

They would also work out dates and venues for subsequent meetings.

The next stage would see foreign secretaries get together to review modalities and prepare the ground for talks between the foreign ministers.

Only after the foreign ministers meet would preparations begin for a summit between Jamali and Vajpayee.

“Things are not going to move in a hurry. There is no need for any irrational exuberance,” a senior foreign ministry official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

New Delhi argues that the July 2001 summit at Agra foundered due to lack of prior homework and adequate preparation at the official level, according to a senior foreign ministry official—AFP