Sunday, August 28 2005 14:40 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Terrorism and drug trafficking will be the two key issues on the agenda of Indo-Pak Home Secretary-level talks beginning in New Delhi tomorrow (Aug 29, 2005) in the midst of efforts to seek the release of Sarabjit Singh, facing death sentence in Pakistan.

Pakistan's Interior Secretary Syed Kamal Shah, who is leading an 11-member delegation to the two-day talks with his Indian counterpart V K Duggal, has said that he would like to discuss the issue of prisoners languishing in each other's country.

Arriving in here yesterday (Aug 26, 2005)for the third round of Home-Secretary level talks, which form part of the ongoing Indo- Pak Composite Dialogue process, Shah said he had come with a 'very positive mind' but avoided comment on whether the issue of release of Singh, who has been sentenced to death for his alleged involvement in the 1990 bomb blasts in Lahore and Multan, would be discussed.

Voicing similar views, Duggal said, "Given the current climate (in Indo-Pak ties), India is very hopeful that the talks will be very positive".

Shah said "Usually the agenda (of Indo-Pak Home Secretary level talks) is terrorism and drug trafficking but this time we have requested that we would like to discuss the issues of prisoners being held in both countries".

On the issue of Singh, the Pakistan Interior Secretary said, "Let us see".

As part of the Composite Dialogue process, the talks were earlier held in Islamabad during which India has asked Pakistan to dismantle the terror infrastructure on its territory and fulfil the promise made by President Pervez Musharraf in the January 6, 2004 joint statement.

"We hope and we are confident that it will be a positive meeting. It will be useful to both the countries and their people," Shah said.

Duggal also hoped that both sides would move forward on all issues pertaining to terrorism and control of narcotics.

"I am looking forward to the two-day talks," he said.

Official sources said a joint statement is likely to be issued at the conclusion of the two-day parleys on Tuesday.

In the past two rounds, India had consistently raised the issue of use of Pakistani territory for fomenting terrorism and drug trafficking in South Asia.

India has also asked Islamabad to dismantle the terror infrastructure as reports indicated that they still existed despite the earlier assurances.