ISLAMABAD, June 16: Pakistan and India are expected to resume dialogue in July this year to resolve all their outstanding issues, including the core issue of Kashmir, peacefully.

A two-day meeting of retired government officials, army generals, politicians and intellectuals from India and Pakistan that concluded on June 13 at Kathmandu, has reportedly paved the way for resumption of talks between the two sides in July.

The participants of the meeting would now inform their respective governments about the outcome of the track-II diplomacy. They believed things would further crystallize after President Pervez Musharraf’s visit to the United States.

“I am hopeful about the removal of differences through dialogue as our meeting with the Indian side has been positive,” said Chairman of the Institute of Policy Studies, Islamabad, Maj-Gen Jamshed Ayaz (retired).

Talking to Dawn here on Monday, Gen Ayaz, who was one of the participants of the meeting, expressed the hope that a breakthrough would be achieved by the end of this year to sort out issues between the two countries.

“I am certain that the official-level talks will start very soon, perhaps next month,” he said.

Gen Ayaz said the participants expressed positive sentiments during their speeches at the Kathmandu meeting, and also met at the sidelines and exchanged views to help resume official-level talks as early as possible.

“It was good to see the Indian side was no more talking vehemently about the Kargil issue and cross-border terrorism and this has raised the hope for improvement in relations between the two countries,” he said.

The role of the Indian army in the fall of former East Pakistan was constantly reminded by the Pakistani delegation in response to Indians mentioning of Kargil and cross-border infiltration. “And this went well to soften their (Indians) stand on some issues,” he said.

Pakistani side was represented by former foreign minister Sartaj Aziz, former foreign secretary Naiz A. Naik, former interior minister Moinuddin Haider, former foreign secretary Inamul Haq, Dr Pervez Cheema, Ikram Sehgal and Talat Wazarat. The Indian side included former ambassador to Pakistan, S.K. Lamba, former army general Ashok Mehta, besides other people.