ISLAMABAD, Oct 27: A six-member Indian delegation headed by Joint Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs Dilip Sinha is scheduled to arrive here on Friday evening for talks on allowing cross-LoC movement. The talks will be held on Saturday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Pakistan delegation will be led by Mr. Ibne Abbas, director-general South Asia Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will include representatives of the Ministries of Interior, Defence and Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas.

It is believed that the meeting follows intensive negotiations and discussions through the informal back-channel. The discussions between the two sides would focus on the modalities which include the timeline, documents and category of travellers.

Meanwhile, Foreign Office spokesperson while referring to many questions being asked about India intending to provide relief along the LOC on three points said in a statement on Thursday: “The position on the ground is that relief is being provided by Pakistani Army and Pakistani relief agencies along the Line of Control in Neelum and Jhelum Valleys.”

Underscoring that the challenge was accessing people living up in the mountains and to provide them with relief and assistance, the spokesperson added: “In these places, relief supplies are being delivered by helicopters, by mules and soldiers are taking supplies by foot.

Anyone who is able to come down from the mountains gets relief and medical assistance at the camps established for this purpose. They do not have to cross the Line of Control to find relief assistance.”

The spokesperson said Pakistan had also conveyed that officials of both sides could receive relief goods at five points including the three points suggested by India. India could send relief goods to these points to be received by our side for distribution.

“Similarly, if they need any items from Pakistan, we would be ready to hand them over if these are readily available locally to help the affected people on the other side of the Line of Control.”

The more important matter is the arrangement to enable Kashmiris to visit their relatives at this time of great tragedy, the spokesperson emphasised.