Indo-Pak Home Secretary level talks to begin today

The two-day Home Secretary level talks between India and Pakistan on terrorism and drug trafficking will begin here today.

New Delhi, July 3 : The two-day Home Secretary level talks between India and Pakistan on terrorism and drug trafficking will begin here today.

Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta has welcomed the visit of the Interior Secretary of Pakistan Syed Kamal Shah.

Gupta is hopeful that the talks will be both positive and fruitful and it will further contribute to the process of confidence building and improving people to people contact between the two countries.

During the talks, the India is expected to raise security concerns and urge the Pakistani side to widen cooperation in combating the menace of terrorism in deference to the objectives set out by the leaders of both countries in the joint statements issued from time to time in this regard.

An understanding is expected to be reached on early finalisation and signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the drug control agencies of the two countries to set up a regular institutional mechanism for co-operation on drug-related matters.

The issues relating to release of fishermen and their boats and also of prisoners and strengthening of mutual co-operation between the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) will also come up for discussion.

These are a part of the on-going composite dialogue process between the two countries.

The last Home Secretary level talks were held in May last year in Islamabad, during which both sides agreed to release fishermen and civilian prisoners, who have completed their prison sentences and have been granted consular access and whose national status has been verified.

ANI