Pak, India FS-level talks expected in mid-January: Sartaj Aziz

Pakistan has proposed to India middle of January for talks between the foreign secretaries of the two sides, the country’s top diplomat said today.

The peace process between the two estranged neighbours was revived this month when External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj visited Pakistan to attend Heart of Asia Conference.

“Pakistan is now waiting for India’s response to the proposed dates,” PM’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said.

The revived Comprehensive Dialogue will include talks on peace and security, Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek, Wullar Barrage, Tulbul Navigation Project, economic and commercial cooperation, counter-terrorism, narcotics control and people- to-people exchanges.

The national security advisors of the two sides will discuss terrorism as a separate track but under the new arrangement.

The peace process was set in motion when the prime ministers of the two countries met in Paris on November 30 on the sidelines of Climate Change Conference which was followed by the national security advisers’ meeting in Bangkok a week later.