PM-Zardari meet to declare dates for LoC trade

The dates for opening of trade routes across the Line of control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir are likely to be announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistani President Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari at New York later this week.

The two leaders are expected to meet - for the first time after Zardari was sworn in as Pakistan’s President - on the sidelines of the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly at New York. Their meeting is expected to rejuvenate the Indo-Pak peace process, which had got mired in tensions after New Delhi openly accusing the Pakistan’s ISI of being behind the July 7 blast outside the Indian embassy in Kabul.

Zardari, in his first speech as President had talked about "good news" on the resolution of the Kashmir issue.

Meanwhile, the joint working group on cross-LoC confidence building measures, comprising senior officials from the Indian and Pakistani governments, finalised the modalities for the trade.

The Indian delegation was led by T C A Raghavan, joint secretary, ministry of external affairs and the Pakistani by Aizaz Ahmed Choudhary, additional secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to an official spokesperson, "The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere."

The officials were tight lipped about the modalities of the border trade finalised at today’s meeting since the formal announcement would be made at the Singh-Zardari meet.

However, according to sources, officials today finalised and formally approved the lists of commodities to be traded through Chakan-da bagh and Salamabad border points.

Both the countries are committed to opening the Srinagar-Muzzafarabad and Poonch Rawalakot trade routes early next month.

They have also discussed the tentative dates for the visits by business leaders from J&K and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to Muzzaffarabad and Srinagar respectively.