ISLAMABAD, May 22: The Foreign Office said on Monday that Pakistan and India had exchanged some ideas on the Siachen issue and it was on the basis of those exchanges that the Indian prime minister had made a positive statement.

Referring to the Siachen talks, FO spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said: “We are approaching these talks with all seriousness because we want this issue resolved.”

Referring to a report regarding issuance of Pakistani passports to Burmese Muslims in Saudi Arabia, she said that ‘restricted validity’ passports had been issued to them in pursuance of a 1986 directive of the then president of Pakistan.

She said the Swiss embassy in Islamabad and Swiss consulate in Karachi had not been closed and added that the Swiss government had decided to replace the staff in the two missions.—Q.A.