Foreign Secy may visit Pak for next round of talks

The Centre on Monday indicated that the next round of foreign secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan might take place in Islamabad to take forward the dialogue process.

"The foreign secretary of Pakistan came here for the talks. So, perhaps it is the turn of the Indian foreign secretary to go to Pakistan. So, let us move step by step," External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said on the sidelines of the India-Africa conclave in New Delhi.

There is speculation that talks between the two sides could take place at the end of March. Pakistani Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir had come to India on February 24 for talks with Nirupama Rao, during which the Indian side made it clear that Pakistan has to take effective and transparent action to stop acts of terror emanating from its soil.

Krishna said, "Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has taken an initiative in good faith to hold foreign secretary level talks with Islamabad."

Asked if Dr Singh will meet his Pakistani counterpart in Washington in April on the sidelines of the nuclear security summit, the minister was non-committal, saying, "Keep speculating."