Pakistan to ask India for revival of FS-level talks

Pak National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz will travel to India on Aug 23 for talks with his counterpart Ajit Doval

Pakistan is expected to ask India to revive the Foreign-Secretary-level talks and raise the issue of bail granted to main accused in Samjhauta blasts case during the meeting of the National Security Advisers of the two countries in New Delhi next week, officials said today.

Pakistan Prime Minister's Advisor on National Security Sartaj Aziz will travel to India on August 23 for talks with his counterpart Ajit Doval.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif yesterday chaired a meeting to discuss the agenda of the NSA-level talks.

Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Aziz, PM's Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi and other officials were present in the meeting.

Government sources said that different aspects of the meeting and agenda were discussed.

"Issues like start of Foreign-Secretary-level talks and our concerns over RAW's activities will be on the agenda," according to the officials privy to the meeting.

India had cancelled Foreign Secretary-level talks in August last year after the Pakistan High Commissioner in New Delhi held consultations with Kashmiri separatists.

No date has been fixed for next round of FS-level talks.

"The issue of bail to the main accused in the Samjhauta train bombing will also be taken up by Pakistan," they said.

Indian diplomats in Islamabad were recently summoned to the Foreign Office over the Indian investigating agency not opposing bail to the main accused in Samjhauta case.

The Pakistani officials said the regular skirmishes on the Line of Control (LoC) will also be part of discussions.

"Pakistan is well prepared to counter India on the alleged delay in the completion of trial of those alleged for Mumbai attacks and granting of bail of alleged mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi," they added.

The Prime Minister is expected to chair another meeting involving the military leadership to finalise the agenda of the NSA-level talks before departure of Aziz.

Earlier, Sharif was briefed about the points of agenda prepared by the Foreign Office.

India had proposed August 23-24 for the meeting which was agreed between Premier Sharif and his counterpart Narendra Modi in Ufa, Russia last month.