NEW DELHI, April 15: Indian Prime Minister will visit Pakistan in June or July this year, as back channel talks between the two countries look poised to report good news, The Hindustan Times said on Saturday.

“Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will make his first official visit to Pakistan this summer —- in June or July,” it said, adding that a recent review of the ties with Pakistan by the prime minister’s office (PMO) would form the basis for the plan.

“While the details of the tour are yet to be worked out, Dr Singh —- who had earlier said he would not like to go to Islamabad for the ‘sake of a visit’ —- seems to be pushing for a substantial engagement with Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf,” the newspaper said.

It said the atmosphere today is a little different from that in April 2005 when the two leaders met in Delhi. The CBMs that were proposed then — including bus services and rail links between the two countries — are on a roll.

“Back-channel discussions are progressing and broad agreements have been reached on issues like Siachen and Sir Creek. The PM would like to seize the momentum and push the process forward,” the newspaper said.

It said that Dr Singh’s recent announcements have been directed towards this end. He proposed a peace, friendship and security treaty to Pakistan. Though the Kashmir roundtable meeting was a damper, with Kashmiris leaders boycotting it, the Indian prime minister had said he was willing to discuss all aspects of the Kashmir question, including “self-rule and autonomy”, the Hinsutan Times noted.

Gen Musharraf had invited Dr Singh to Pakistan when he visited New Delhi last April. “A recent PMO review of India-Pakistan relations after Musharraf’s trip actually constitutes the basis of Dr Singh’s proposed visit,” the newspaper said.

Diplomatic sources said the two leaders could also meet during the Shanghai summit of Central Asian countries together with Iran, Russia and China. This meeting is to be held in July, or possibly in June.

The Hindutan Times quoted sources as saying that terror strikes will not derail the composite dialogue process. “This is in line with the joint declaration by the two leaders in April 18, 2005, when they pledged not to allow terrorism to impede the peace process,” it quoted its sources as saying.