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Pak official's absence at SAARC meet sparks rumours about dilution of Indo-Pak talks

P Mohan Das in Nuwara Eliya

Pakistan Foreign Secretary Shamshad Ahmed's absence at the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation secretary-level meeting -- which is now underway at the picturesque Nuwara Eliya hill resort town in Sri Lanka, about 130 km from Colombo -- has given rise to speculation about the dilution of the bilateral talks between foreign ministers of India and Pakistan.

Diplomatic sources say Shamshad Ahmed's travel plan had to be changed due to flight disruption. ''He may accompany Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz, who is expected early today,'' they said.

However, Tariq Altaf, additional secretary of foreign affairs in Pakistan, is attending the standing committee meeting of secretaries, who are busy in finalising the agenda for the council of ministers meeting beginning on March 18.

The SAARC programme committee, which had its meetings earlier, approved the reports of the governing board of the five SAARC regional centres. It was noted that the programming committee had also approved the budget estimate of the SAARC secretariat.

UNI

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