Siachen, J&K to feature in 5th Indo-Pak composite dialogue next week

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Even as the government readies to seek a trust vote on July 22, India will begin the fifth round of composite dialogue with Pakistan early next week.

For the two-day talks which will start on Monday in New Delhi, Pak’s foreign secretary Salman Bashir will arrive in the Capital on Sunday for crucial talks with his Indian counterpart Shivshankar Menon.

Both officials will discuss issues relating to bilateral relationship, J&K, peace and security matters and disputes over Siachen and Sir Creek.

Next week’s meetings take place in the shadow of last week’s bomb attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul, for which India blamed Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Although Islamabad has denied any role in the deadly blasts that killed four Indians, including a diplomat and military attaché of brigadier rank, and 54 Afghans in the first major attack on Indian assets abroad, the issue of the alleged complicity of the Pakistani spy agency in the suicide attack will figure prominently during discussions between the two foreign secretaries.

It may be recalled that earlier this week, a team from the CBI cancelled its meeting with Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), set for July-end, in an attempt to underscore its concerns at the alleged flow of terrorism from across the border.

The visit was cancelled days after National Security Adviser MK Narayanan said that New Delhi had ‘‘pretty good evidence’’ of the ISI’s suspected involvement in the car bomb attack on the Indian mission.

While Pak was not named, the foreign secretary Menon was quoted as saying in Kabul that the attack was the work of ‘‘our common enemies, of the enemies of our common friendship, and of the enemies of peace in Afghanistan and our region’’ - a none-too-veiled reference to the Taliban and its alleged mentors across the border.

In a clear signal that terrorism would not be allowed to hold India-Pak talks hostage, joint secretaries from the foreign ministries of both countries started a dialogue in Islamabad Friday on confidence building measures across the Line of Control.