Monday, September 19 2005 20:09 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh would review the progress made in the second round of Composite Dialogue Process and attend the preliminary session of the Indo-Pak Joint Commission during his three day visit here beginning October three.

"We are combining his (Singh's) visit to Islamabad for the review of the CD process as well as to hold the preliminary session of the Joint Commission, dormant since 1989," Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesman Naeem Khan said announcing Singh's visit to the country from October 3-5.

The Joint Commission headed by the Foreign Ministers of the two countries was established in 1983 and held its last session in 1989. It has so far held three sessions. The two sides decided to revive the Joint Commission during President Pervez Musharraf's visit to New Delhi this year.

Asked about the specific issues the Joint Commission would discuss, Khan told reporters here today that the two Ministers would focus their talks on how to avoid overlapping of issues between CD process and the Commission.

He said initially the Joint Commission had four sub commissions dealing with a number of issues between the two countries which were currently being discussed under the CD process, which completed two cycles and the third would begin from January next.

When the Foreign Ministers meet they would have to decided how to reconstitute the Commission. "It is preliminary meeting in which discussions would take on how to revive it," he said.