ISLAMABAD: President Z.A. Bhutto will leave for New Delhi on June 28 for his summit meeting with the Indian Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi, to settle the problems arising from the Indo-Pakistan war of December 1971. A Foreign Office spokesman today [May 27] confirmed the summit date after the President received a reply from Mrs Gandhi. The President had written to the Indian Premier on May 13. The spokesman said the duration of the summit had not been fixed. The composition will be settled after Mr Bhutto’s return from his 12-day tour of the countries in the Middle East and Africa, beginning on May 29.

The agenda of the summit was agreed at the Indo-Pakistan emissary-level talks held at Murree and Rawalpindi last month. Although the agenda had not been disclosed it is generally believed that main items include disengagement of troops and exchange of prisoners of war, resumption of diplomatic relations, and communications and other substantive issues.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has announced that it had stopped hostile propaganda against India in view of the forthcoming summit, with the hope that New Delhi would reciprocate. — News agencies

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2022