Wednesday, February 16 2005 12:42 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh today (Feb 16, 2005) held talks with President Pervez Musharraf during which a host of issues, including the progress on the Composite Dialogue process was reviewed.

Singh, who arrived in Islamabad yesterday evening (Feb 15, 2005) on a three-day visit met Musharraf before his scheduled meetings with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Foreign Minister Khurshid M Kasuri.

Review of the ongoing Composite Dialogue process covering an eight point agenda, including the vexed Jammu and Kashmir issue would be the focus Singh's talks with Pakistani leadership, officials in Islamabad said.

A host of other issues such as the speeding up of the implementation of the confidence building measures (CBM), including running of bus services between Srinagar-Muzafarabad and Lahore and Amritsar are expected to figure in Singh's talks with Pakistani leaders.

India is awaiting a response from Pakistan to a number of its proposals, many of which are aimed at bolstering people-to-people contact. These include holding of visa camps by the respective High Commissions in different cities and an agreement on peace and tranquillity along the Line of Control (LoC).

Islamabad has not responded to New Delhi's proposal that the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) could meet periodically and another one permitting cross-border trade at selected points.

Setting a positive tone for the talks, Kasuri said, "It is a heavy responsibility on the shoulders of the two Governments and the Foreign Ministers to see that the optimism and goodwill that prevails is not diluted in any way."

The Foreign Minister told Pakistan daily 'Dawn' that both Governments needed the support of their people to carry forward the peace process for which political will was absolutely essential.