Indo-Pak. talks likely in Colombo

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JULY 23. Less than a month after the Agra summit, India and Pakistan are expected to re-establish high-level official contacts at Colombo.

The Foreign Secretary, Ms. Chokila Iyer is expected to meet her Pakistani counterpart, Mr. Inamul Haq, on the sidelines of the two-day special session of the SAARC standing committee which begins in the Sri Lankan capital on August 9. This conference will ``provide an opportunity for bilateral discussion on the sidelines. Details about the bilateral interactions of the foreign secretary with her counterparts from other countries are being worked out,'' the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

In response to another question, she said India had not formally received any invitation from Pakistan for the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, or the External Affairs Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh, to visit Islamabad.

Asked to comment on Gen. Pervez Musharraf's observation that third-party mediation to resolve the Kashmir issue could be pursued only as a last resort, the spokesperson said this was not ``our view.'' She pointed out that it would be ``premature'' to read meaning into Gen. Musharraf's observations. The Kashmir issue could be tackled only through direct talks between India and Pakistan, she added.

To a question on Pakistani firing along the Line of Control on Friday, she said the Government was ``vigilant'' and was monitoring all activity disturbing peace and stability along the LoC.

The spokesperson declined to comment on a question related to the leaking of the Indo-Pakistani draft declaration at Agra by a web portal. She reiterated that India would not conduct diplomacy through the media.

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