Niaz to visit India for 'track-II' diplomacy

ISLAMABAD, AUG. 11. Pakistan's former foreign Secretary, Mr. Niaz A. Naik, who hit the headlines for engaging in secret- diplomacy during last year's Kargil conflict, has said he would visit India in the first week of next month to resume the `track- II' diplomacy between the New Delhi and Islamabad.

``For the last nine years, I and my colleagues have been visiting India under the non-official diplomacy process or track-II diplomacy. In first week of September, we are again going to establish contacts with our friends and deliberate how we can move forward,'' Mr. Naik told the BBC in an interview.

The recent withdrawal of ceasefire by Hizbul Mujahideen ``caused a setback''. ``But I am not disappointed, rather fully optimistic that India and Pakistan would sit together as early as possible to find a solution to this (Kashmir) problem in view of international and regional conditions..,`` Mr. Naik said.

Asked how the stumbling block would be removed when there is no possibility of a meeting between Pakistani military ruler, Gen. Pervez Musharraf and thew Prime Minister, Mr.A. B. Vajpayee, in New York in September, he said ``there is hope that at least ice would be broken there. Even if they don't hold talks and just exchange pleasantries, it would also make a difference''.

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