Marking their second meeting in four months, foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan will hold two-day talks in Islamabad from June 23 during which the Indian side is expected to press for effective action against those behind the 26/11 attacks, including elements in the ISI.
In the talks on Jammu and Kashmir, peace and security and confidence building measures, the Indian side is expected to voice its concern over the nexus between ISI and 26/11 attackers as highlighted during the trial of Pakistani-Canadian Tahawwur Rana in Chicago.
“Foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan will meet in Islamabad on June 23-24 to discuss peace and security, including CBMs; Jammu and Kashmir, and promotion of friendly exchanges,” external affairs ministry said in a statement here on Friday.
Foreign secretary Nirupama Rao will be meeting her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir for the second time since February when they held talks in Thimphu in Bhutan on the sidelines of Saarc ministerial conference.
During that meeting, the two sides had agreed to resume their comprehensive dialogue on all bilateral issues to resolve outstanding issues in a constructive and forward-looking manner, two years after India put on hold the composite dialogue process with Pakistan in the aftermath of the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
On Monday, external affairs minister S.M. Krishna said the two foreign secretaries will discuss all bilateral issues and that Rana’s confessions will also be one of the important issues that will be taken up by India.
The foreign secretaries will also take “stock of theprogress made by India and Pakistan during the series of parleys held at official levels on various issues such as terrorism, water, trade and commerce.
In February, it was decided that meetings at the level of respective secretaries will be convened on counter-terrorism (including progress on Mumbai attack trial), humanitarian issues, peace and security, including CBMs, Jammu and Kashmir, promotion of friendly exchanges, Siachen, economic issues, Wullar Barrage/Tulbul Navigation Project and Sir Creek (at the level of Additional Secretaries/Surveyors General).