New Delhi: India today (Dec 7, 2004) suggested to Pakistan the use of entry permits along with passports for people wishing to travel by the proposed Srinagar-Muzaffarabad (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir-PoK), bus link as the two countries resumed their talks on resumption of the transport link.

The offer was made to overcome the documentation issue, official sources said on the opening day of the two-day technical level talks on the bus service.

Keen on starting the operations, New Delhi has decided to show flexibility and move some distance, the sources said.

While passport will remain the basic identity document, the Indian side said the entry permit would be similar to the visa. People on both sides would have to apply to the respective High Commissions and permits will be issued after normal verification.

Instead of the passports, the entry permits would be stamped at the border points.

Pakistan has been against use of passports on the ground that the Line of Control (LoC) was a temporary line and not an international border.

While Alok Rawat, Joint secretary in the Road Transport ministry, led the Indian side for the talks the Pakistan delegation was led by Jalil Abbas Jilani, Director General (South Asia) in the foreign office.

Emerging from the two-hour talks, Jilani declined to go into details. "We covered a lot of issues. Discussions were very good and are continuing. We will now meet tomorrow," he said.