ISLAMABAD, Dec 29: A bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali and Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari will take place during the latter’s visit to Islamabad in connection with the Saarc summit, a Foreign Office spokesman confirmed on Monday.

The Saarc summit will begin on Jan 4 and conclude on Jan 6.

In his weekly briefing to newsmen, the Foreign Office spokesman, Mr Masud Khan, said he was not sure whether the Indian prime minister would meet President Pervez Musharraf during his stay in Islamabad.

The spokesman said: “There is no indication so far of Mr Vajpayee’s intention. However, Pakistan believes the Saarc summit has offered a rare opportunity to resume dialogue since there has been no bilateral talks after the Agra summit in the summer of 2001.

“As far as Pakistan is concerned, we think this is a rare opportunity, a historic opportunity since the Agra summit. It is high time that the two sides resume dialogue and engage each other comprehensively.

“The venue of Saarc in Islamabad presents that opportunity and friendly atmosphere and if the leadership demonstrates statesmanship, there is a possibility of a meeting and they must meet,” the spokesman observed, and expressed the hope that a meeting here would lead to the resumption of the dialogue and ultimately a composite dialogue between the countries.

In reply to a question about any third party’s covert mediation on the Kashmir and related issues between Pakistan and India, the spokesman replied in the affirmative. He, however, said it was not a triangular-structured mediation.

He said India was mysteriously coy about admitting the existence of such efforts with US facilitation. But for an outcome, he said, participants’ concurrence was necessary.

When asked about expectations from the Saarc summit, the spokesman said: “Our expectations are that there should be a new spirit for regional cooperation. We have been left behind in regional cooperation and I think that South Asian nations must revitalise their efforts to come closer to create new network, to create a new infrastructure for closer and greater cooperation in all areas. We should be moving ahead and we should not slide back.”

In reply to another question, Mr Khan said that the Saarc official committees were not tasked to review the Saarc charter which was for ministerial level or summit level to consider to extend it to include consideration of political or bilateral issues.

The spokesman admitted the need for maintaining peace and harmony in the region to provide opportunity to carry out joint efforts in economic, social, cultural, science and technology and in other spheres.

He also admitted the need for resolving intra-regional disputes but pointed out that since its inception the Saarc had followed a long-standing tradition to keep these matters out of the Saarc purview.

However, he hoped, the organization might reach the stage when it could help in resolving political disputes and issues as well.

About security measures being taken for the summit, the spokesman said the government would ensure 100 per cent fool-proof security environment for the Saarc summit participants and other guests coming to attend the summit. “We would like the participants and other guests to the Saarc summit to feel totally safe and secure,” he added.