Pakistan, India brace for key talks

Published
0

NEW DELHI, Aug 2: A five-member delegation arrived here from Pakistan on Monday to explore ways to boost friendly exchanges between the two countries, a widely applauded search that may largely try to ease their respective visa regimes, officials said.

Opening bilateral tourism was a key issue, they added. The two-day dialogue will be led on Pakistan's side by Syed Jalil Abbas, Federal Secretary for Tourism and Culture, and for India by Union Culture Secretary Neena Ranjan.

The Pakistani delegation includes Directors-General in the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior, Religious Affairs and Information. The dialogue is one of the eight points in the India-Pakistan Composite Dialogue Process.

A second high-power, eight-member Pakistan delegation headed by Defence Secretary Lt-Gen (Retd) Hamid Nawaz Khan would arrive here on Wednesday to hold discussions on the Siachen Glacier from August 5-6.

Another Pakistani delegation headed by Rear Admiral Ahsan-ul-Haq Chaudhry, Additional Secretary of Defence Division, would reach New Delhi on Thursday to hold discussions on Sir Creek on August 6-7.

Pakistan has invited Indian railway officials to visit Islamabad to discuss the early resumption of the disrupted rail link between Rajasthan and Sindh. News reports said Tuesday's talks are likely to focus on liberalising the visa regime between the two nations, easing visa access to journalists, intellectuals and tourists.

Opinion

Editorial

Muddled hierarchy
Updated 15 Nov, 2026

Muddled hierarchy

The jurisdiction of the two courts and a mechanism for settling disputes between them should be spelt out in law, not left to judges to fight over.
Growing crisis
15 Nov, 2026

Growing crisis

AN emergency can be judged by the speed with which it draws an effective response. The National Population Council’s...
Organised rackets
15 Nov, 2026

Organised rackets

ON the International Day against Transnational Organised Crime, observed today, Pakistan finds itself in a tight...
Referendum talk
Updated 14 Nov, 2026

Referendum talk

Unless the PPP is deliberately using Sindh as a bargaining chip, it should issue a clarification with a clear, consistent position on new administrative units, not one tailored to protect its home turf.
Mineral wealth
Updated 14 Nov, 2026

Mineral wealth

Minerals should not be presented as a solution to Pakistan’s long-term economic difficulties. The aim should be to build an industrial base rather than export raw materials.
Late diagnosis
14 Nov, 2026

Late diagnosis

AS we mark World Diabetes Day today, Pakistan faces a troubling question: how many people are living with diabetes...