Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday discussed the ongoing peace process and the recent opening of crossings points on LoC to facilitate the Kashmiri people living on either side to share their grief and help each other in relief and reconstruction efforts in the aftermath of October 8 earthquake.
The meeting, on the sidelines of the 13th Saarc Summit, continued for about 50 minutes during which the two leaders also discussed ways to make the seven-member regional grouping a more effective instrument of regional co-operation.
After a delegation level talks between the two sides attended by Foreign Minister Khurshid M. Kasuri, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Shipping and Port Minister Babar Khan Ghouri, the two Prime Ministers then had one-on-one meeting that lasted for about 30 minutes.
The two leaders discussed the crossing points along the LoC following a proposal by President General Pervez Musharraf for opening of routes to facilitate divided families share their grief and assist in relief and reconstruction efforts.
Prime Minister Manmohan told Prime Minister Shaukat that his country supported the opening of crossing points on the LoC. He assured Shaukat that three of the five agreed points had been opened, while the remaining two would also be made operational shortly.
Shaukat said that it would facilitate exchange of relief goods as people would also be able to cross over through these points.
The Prime Minister also thanked Dr Singh for Indian assistance for the quake-stricken people.
The two leaders reviewed the ongoing peace process between the two countries, which is now to begin the third round from January, 2006, and discussed issues including Sir Creek, Siachen, arrest of fishermen etc.
Prime Minister Aziz said Pakistan desires resolution of Kashmir dispute in line with the wishes of the Kashmiri people, and added that it would help improve ties between the two countries.
He told his Indian counterpart that Pakistan believes in free trade, but added that this was not possible with India unless there was progress on the decades-old Kashmir issue.
Shaukat reiterated that progress in economic relations should be in tandem with the progress on the Kashmir dispute.