Pakistan-India Foreign Secretaries to meet next month

ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz has said that Foreign Secretaries of Pakistan and India will meet on 14th or 15th of next month to prepare a schedule for comprehensive dialogue.

He was making a statement in the Senate regarding the short visit of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Pakistan on 25th of this month.

The Adviser said the Foreign Secretaries would draw up a map for the next six months for talks on ten identified subjects.

He said the dialogue process is challenging as it involves difficult decision and important issues.

Sartaj Aziz said the Prime Ministers of two countries have met five times and the warmth of relations created by Lahore meeting would hopefully have an impact on the formal dialogue.

However, he cautioned against unrealistic expectations from the dialogue process and said there would be progress on some issues soon while it will take time for progress on others.

Sartaj Aziz said the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a goodwill visit and it has been welcomed by majority of people in Pakistan and India as well as the international community.

The Adviser dispelled the impression that the entourage of the Indian Prime Minister visited Lahore without any visa.

Responding to a point raised by leader of the opposition Aitzaz Ahsan, the Adviser said no secret meeting was held between the Prime Ministers of Pakistan and India at Kathmandu.

Replying to points raised by other members Sartaj Aziz said India changed its hostile attitude towards Pakistan because of our constructive diplomacy, international pressure and domestic lobbies in India.

Chairman Raza Rabbani asked Defence Minister to make statement on the recent visit of the Army Chief General Raheel Sharif to Kabul.

Replying a question, Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan said land ports are to be set up on Pak-Afghan border at Chaman and Torkham to regulate flow of goods and people.

He said a Land Port Authority Bill would be introduced in the parliament soon for this purpose.

The Minister said there is also proposal for installation of biometric devices at border entry-exit points besides weighing of trucks carrying goods under Afghan-Pakistan Transit Trade.

He said tracking devices are also used to ensure that trucks carrying transit goods do not unload inside Pakistan.

Minister for Climate Change, Zahid Hamid presented the Civil Servants Amendment Bill in the House.

It has already been passed by the National Assembly.

The Bill was referred to the Standing Committee concerned.