Islamabad: Ahead of the Foreign Secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan later this week, President Pervez Musharraf today (June 23, 2004) held a high-level meeting to finalise his country's strategy for the parleys and said the dialogue process must be pursued "sincerely and earnestly" to resolve all issues, including Kashmir.

"General Musharraf chaired a meeting, which he had convened to discuss the forthcoming rounds of composite dialogue with India.

"The President said on the occasion that the dialogue process between Pakistan and India must be pursued sincerely and earnestly to resolve all issues, including Kashmir, to achieve results," Pakistan Foreign Office said in a statement.

Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar, who would be leading Pakistan's delegation at the talks, gave a detailed presentation to Musharraf on the ground covered so far and Pakistan's approach towards the upcoming talks at the Foreign Secretary level and beyond, it said.

The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri, who returned from China after a high profile meeting with his Indian counterpart K Natwar Singh on the sidelines of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD).

Conspicuous by his absence, however, was Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali who, according to media speculation here, was on his way out of the government as Musharraf planned a revamp of the administration.

The composite dialogue would begin with Foreign Secretary-level talks in New Delhi on June 27 and 28 to discuss Kashmir, peace and security and CBMs.

The two-day talks would review the progress made by the two countries at the just-concluded expert-level parleys on nuclear CBMs as well as the progress of the peace process initiated early this year by Musharraf and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

After the Foreign Secretary-level talks, designated officials of both countries would hold parleys on Siachen, Wullur Barrage, Sir Creek, Terrorism and Drug Trafficking, Economic Commercial Cooperation and promotion of friendly exchanges in various fields.

The talks on all these issues were expected to be completed before the two Foreign Ministers meet in August to review the progress of the dialogue.