News
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
India upbeat after peace talks with PakistanNEW DELHI: India hailed ‘extremely positive’ peace talks with Pakistan on Monday with both countries looking to build on a recent warming in relations brought on by some successful ‘cricket diplomacy’. Home secretaries from the two nations met in New Delhi to discuss counter-terrorism, the 2008 Mumbai attacks and the drugs trade in talks that are part of a formal peace process re-starting between the neighbours. “The talks were extremely positive. Progress was made in... the right direction,” India’s GK Pillai said after a six-hour meeting at a luxury hotel in the capital. He promised a joint statement on Tuesday, the second day of the talks between him and his counterpart Chaudhary Qamar Zaman. The meeting comes amid intense excitement in the nuclear-armed neighbours about the semi-final of the cricket World Cup on Wednesday, which will see India host Pakistan on home turf for the first time since 2007. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has invited his Pakistani counterpart Yousaf Raza Gilani to watch the game with him in what will be a rare meeting between the leaders. afp
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk