Musharraf to chair meeting ahead of Indo-Pak FMs’ talks

By Shaukat Piracha

ISLAMABAD: President General Pervez Musharraf is likely to chair a meeting on Thursday to review the composite dialogue process between Pakistan and India and finalise Pakistan’s position for the forthcoming meeting between the foreign ministers of both countries.

Official sources told Daily Times that the meeting would also be attended by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz as well as top leadership of the armed forces. The president’s schedule is not confirmed. Sources added that Ambassador at Large Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri and Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar would give updates at the meeting.

Foreign ministers of both countries will hold a two-day meeting from September 5 in New Delhi to review the progress made in terms of the eight-point agenda for the ongoing composite dialogue. Before the foreign ministers’ meeting, the foreign secretaries would meet on September 4 in New Delhi, sources said.

Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar will lead the delegation. Others will include Additional Secretary (Asia-Pacific) Salman Bashir, Director General for South Asia Mr Jalil Abbass Jilani, Foreign Office Spokesman Masood Khan, Director India Mr Tariq Zamir, Director Kashmir Affairs Ms Zuhra Akbari and Director Foreign Secretary Office Ms Tehmina Janjua.

Sources said that the Kashmiri leadership would also be part of the consultations. All Parties Hurriyat Conference leadership and other politicians from Kashmir would be briefed on Tuesday (today) in Islamabad, sources claimed.

According to sources, the Kashmir committee would also visit the United States (US) from September 20. “The Chairman Kashmir Committee Hamid Nasir Chattha and some other committee members have been invited to visit the US,” sources said. The visit will allow the committee to discuss the Kashmir issue with leading US Congressmen, lawyers and US-based Kashmiri leaders, sources added.

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