Pakistan says set to ‘partially’ resume talks with India

He was responding to questions about the resumption of the

India-Pakistan dialogue at a conference here.

“Like the trade secretaries are going to meet,a meeting on power purchase is going to take place. There would be talks on some CBMs like visa. So (dialogue) will be resumed partially,” he said.

Aziz did not give any timeframe for these meetings.

The bilateral dialogue process was disrupted for over two years after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks carried out by members of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Though the talks resumed in early 2011,bilateral relations took a hit early this year after five Indian soldiers were killed in an attack by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control.

Fierce exchanges of fire at the LoC claimed the lives of soldiers on both sides and both countries accused each other of violating a 2003 ceasefire agreement.

The tensions eased following a meeting between the Prime Ministers of both countries in New York in September. Since then,several meetings have taken place between officials and leaders of the two sides.

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Colomdo on the sidelines of the CHOGM meet in November. Aziz then travelled to India to attend a Foreign Ministers’ meet.

Sharif¿s brother,Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif,is in India and met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday.

Official sources said back channels parleys are also being held.

India has made progress conditional to maintenance of peace on the LoC and forward movement in the trial of Pakistani suspects charged with involvement in the Mumbai

attacks case.