India, Pakistan begin new round of peace talks
Tuesday, 22 July 2008
NEW DELHI, July 21 (AFP): India and Pakistan on Monday started fresh peace talks despite a bomb attack on India's embassy in Kabul which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan's spy service.
Security, release of prisoners and trade will figure in the talks, which are part of a peace process the two rivals launched in 2004.
Ahead of the talks, Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir said he expected positive results from the dialogue.
Both the countries want a "peaceful atmosphere", Bashir told reporters on Sunday.
The meeting comes days after New Delhi blamed Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence for a July 7 attack on its embassy in Kabul which killed more than 40 people.
Pakistan has rejected the allegations.
The foreign secretaries of the two countries were also expected to discuss the longstanding Kashmir dispute, which has triggered two of their three wars since 1947.
New Delhi accuses Islamabad-backed Islamic militants of waging an insurgency in the disputed Himalayan territory and of triggering attacks in other parts of the country.
Pakistan strongly denies it arms or trains the militants.
A series of violent incidents in Indian Kashmir claimed the lives of 10 soldiers, a policeman and two civilians over the weekend.
New Delhi will ask Pakistan during Monday's peace talks to curb the growing number of Islamic rebels coming into Indian-Kashmir, the Press Trust of India reported.
Security, release of prisoners and trade will figure in the talks, which are part of a peace process the two rivals launched in 2004.
Ahead of the talks, Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir said he expected positive results from the dialogue.
Both the countries want a "peaceful atmosphere", Bashir told reporters on Sunday.
The meeting comes days after New Delhi blamed Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence for a July 7 attack on its embassy in Kabul which killed more than 40 people.
Pakistan has rejected the allegations.
The foreign secretaries of the two countries were also expected to discuss the longstanding Kashmir dispute, which has triggered two of their three wars since 1947.
New Delhi accuses Islamabad-backed Islamic militants of waging an insurgency in the disputed Himalayan territory and of triggering attacks in other parts of the country.
Pakistan strongly denies it arms or trains the militants.
A series of violent incidents in Indian Kashmir claimed the lives of 10 soldiers, a policeman and two civilians over the weekend.
New Delhi will ask Pakistan during Monday's peace talks to curb the growing number of Islamic rebels coming into Indian-Kashmir, the Press Trust of India reported.