NEW DELHI, Nov 29: India and Pakistan postponed talks to control drug trafficking that had been planned for Monday because both sides were busy with an international narcotics conference, officials said.

The talks were part of a peace process that the two countries launched in January to tackle a range of outstanding issues in addition to their longstanding dispute over Kashmir.

The meeting between drug enforcement officers will now take place on Dec 13 and 14, an Indian foreign ministry official said. India and Pakistan constitute a part of the 'Golden Crescent', along with Afghanistan, which produces around 85 per cent of the world's opium.

Officials say strained relations between India and Pakistan have hindered efforts to control cross-border drug smuggling. -Reuters