Menon to leave for talks with Pak

Foreign Secretary Shiv Shanker Menon is leaving for Islamabad today for Indo-Pak Foreign Secretary level talks.

New Delhi, May 19 : Foreign Secretary Shiv Shanker Menon is leaving for Islamabad today for Indo-Pak Foreign Secretary level talks.

The talks will be held with his Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir on a host of issues before the Foreign Ministers of the two countries hold talks on Wednesday.The three-day visit is expected to pave the way for in-depth discussions on cross border terrorism.

Peace and security and growing incidents of infiltration will be high on the agenda between the two foreign ministers.

The two sides will also discuss Jammu and Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek and various confidence-building measures.

The issue of pardon for Sarabjit Singh will also be raised while seeking expeditious release of all its nationals lodged in jails in Pakistan.

New Delhi also wants Islamabad to hand over Dawood Ibrahim, who has been labelled as international terrorist by the UN, and would furnish proof of his presence in Pakistan if the matter comes up at the upcoming talks.

This is the first high-level contact between the two countries after the newly elected government assumed office in Islamabad.

ANI