Islamabad, Jan 13: India and Pakistan would soon work out modalities as also the date and venue for foreign secretary level talks in February, Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri said today and called for liberalisation of visa regime between the two countries. Indian and Pakistan foreign offices would soon complete the exercise to work out the modalities as well as the date and venue for talks between the foreign secretaries of both countries, which they agreed to begin next month, he told reporters in Karachi.

India and Pakistan announced the decision to hold a composite dialogue in February after a meeting between Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and President Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad on the sidelines of the Saarc summit earlier this month.
Kasuri said that the two countries should also liberalise the visa regime to accommodate the rush of passengers to travel and proposed to enhance the strength of the staff to previous levels of 110 members at each other's diplomatic missions in New Delhi and Islamabad.

Refuting allegations by Pakistan's opposition parties that his government has compromised on the Kashmir issue in agreeing for the new peace process with India, Kasuri said the joint statement issued at the end of the meeting between Vajpayee and Musharraf clearly stated that the issue of Jammu and Kashmir should also be resolved and in accordance with the desires and wishes of the people of Kashmir.
Bureau Report