The recently resumed Pak-India talks are likely to gain momentum in the later half of the year as meetings at the ministerial and prime minister level are on the cards in July and November, respectively.
Well-placed sources told Online on Sunday that the two meeting between the foreign secretaries of the two countries, starting on June 23, would be followed by a ministerial moot in July while the prime ministers are most likely to meet on the sidelines of the 17th SAARC Summit in Maldives.
As the foreign secretaries are set to discuss Kashmir, security, confidence building measures and promotion of friendly exchanges, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar would take up Siachen conflict and visa issues, by the end of July, the sources added.
According to the sources, Khar was most likely to lead the Pakistani delegation at the ministerial talks between India and Pakistan most probably in the last week of July while final dates and venue would be decided in due course of time.
“After the ministerial moot followed by the secretary-level talks, the relevant officials of the two neighbouring countries would start working for a promising meeting between Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh,” the sources said.
The two premiers, who watched their respective cricket teams at the ICC World Cup semi-final at Mohali earlier in the year, would have an opportunity to focus on bilateral interactions during these seven (March to October) months or so.
