'No decision on venue yet'

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JUNE 15. The brainstorming exercise in South Block over the visit by Pakistan's Chief Executive, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, has gathered momentum with the External Affairs Minister, Mr. Jaswant Singh, holding consultations with the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, in Mumbai today.

The High Commissioner to Pakistan, Mr. Vijay Nambiar, is already here on a preparatory visit. The immediate subject at hand is the finalisation of dates of the summit. Asked to comment on the visit, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said the dates would be simultaneously announced in Islamabad and New Delhi.

She dismissed media assertions that Mr. Vajpayee and the Pakistani Chief Executive would be meeting in Goa for talks. ``Neither a discussion or decision on the venue has been taken,'' she observed.

The Pakistan's High Commissioner, Mr. Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, has intensified his consultations across India's political spectrum. He has already met former Prime Ministers, Mr. P.V.Narasimha Rao, Mr. V.P. Singh, Mr. H.D. Deve Gowda and Mr. I.K Gujral.

This morning he met the Lok Sabha Speaker, Mr. G.M.C. Balayogi. After the meeting, he told journalists that Gen. Musharraf's visit was ``a great opportunity to move into a more constructive phase of Indo-Pak. relationship''.

He is slated to meet the Leader of the Opposition, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, as well as the former Prime Minister, Mr. Chandra Shekhar.

Nambiar briefs Jaswant

UNI reports:

Mr. Nambiar briefed Mr. Jaswant Singh on the various aspects of the proposed visit of Gen. Musharraf to India. He also met the Foreign Secretary, Ms. Chokila Iyer, and gave her a detailed account of the talks he had with the Pakistani officials the past one week. The High Commissioner also held discussions on bilateral matters with the Pakistan's Interior Minister, Lt. Gen Moinuddin Haider.

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