Nirupama Rao to visit Pak by June end

Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao will travel to Islamabad later this month to hold talks with her Pakistani counterpart during which India will raise the issue of nexus between Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence and the perpetrators of 26/11 attacks, as brought out by the trial of Pakistani-Canadian terrorist Tahawwur Rana in the United States.

In the first such exercise since their last meet in February in Thimphu, Rao and her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir will hold parleys to review the status of bilateral ties and the situation in the region.

Highly-placed sources said Rao will be travelling to Islamabad later this month. They also said the probable dates for the meeting would be between June 24 and 27. Other bilateral issues to be discussed during the meeting would be Jammu and Kashmir, peace and security and confidence building measures.

"As far as India is concerned, we have got very important evidence, assessments and statements on oath that makes a world of difference. Rana has gone and appeared in a court in Chicago on his own. He has mentioned about the nexus between Pakistan's ISI and the perpetrators of Mumbai attack," External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said.

"When the two foreign secretaries meet, all issues of bilateral nature will be taken up. Rana's confessions is also going to be one of the important issues and we will be taking it up," he said.

Rao-Bashir meeting will also take "stock of the progress made by India and Pakistan during the series of parleys held at senior levels on various issues such as security, water, trade and commerce," sources said.

The two countries had earlier this year agreed to resume their comprehensive dialogue on all bilateral issues to resolve outstanding issues in a constructive and forward-looking manner, two years after talks had been stalled between them in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

It was decided that meetings at the level of respective secretaries will be convened on counter-terrorism (including progress on Mumbai attack trial), humanitarian issues, peace and security, including CBMs, Jammu and Kashmir, promotion of friendly exchanges, Siachen, economic issues, Wullar Barrage/Tulbul Navigation Project and Sir Creek at the level of additional secretaries/surveyors general.