Pakistan, India to enhance number of religious places, pilgrims

India and Pakistan on Friday agreed to enhance the number of religious places and pilgrims on both sides besides promoting exchanges in education, media, youth and sports.
Talking to the reporters at the conclusion of two-day talks on Promotion of Friendly Exchange under the third round of composite dialogue, Secretary Culture Jalil Abbas described the outcome of parleys as "very satisfying and encouraging".
A joint statement, issued at the end of the talks said, "the two sides underlined the importance of interaction in the field of culture and related areas as part of efforts to expand people to people contacts and agreed to work on the modalities of proposals identified by them." Both sides discussed various proposal for co-operation in the fields of arts and culture, education, Ayurvedic and Unani medicine, archaeology, tourism, youth affairs, sports and media, added the statement.
The talks, held in a cordial atmosphere reviewed the progress since the first round of the parleys in August 2004, the statement maintained adding, Pakistani team also called on Minister of Tourism and Culture Ambika Soni on Friday.
Secretary Culture, Jalil Abbas led the Pakistani delegation, while Indian team was headed by his Indian counterpart Badal K Das during the two-day talks.
Eight-member Pak delegation comprised Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Aziz Ahmad Khan, representatives from ministries of foreign affairs, tourism, culture and interior and other officials of the mission.
Responding to a question, leader of Pak delegation Jalil Abbas said that the two sides moved forward in the area pertaining to visa policy for group tourism under separate category.
The Indian side evinced interest in the strengthening of district government and local government reforms introduced in Pakistan, he expressed adding proposals were also discussed to extend more facilities to the pilgrims and visitors between the sides.
In response to another query, he viewed that the people to people exchanges would yield greater dividends by overcoming bottlenecks, impeding the progress on other issues between the two sides.