Indian FM in Islamabad to hold bilateral talks

Indian Minister of External Affairs S M Krishna, arrived here on Friday morning on a three-day official visit to hold bilateral talks and also to co-chair the Plenary session of the India-Pakistan Joint Commission. According to the Foreign Office, the Indian Minister will hold bilateral meetings with his counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf. The Indian minister will be holding review meeting with Foreign Minister Khar at her invitation. The bilateral talks will take place on Saturday, said Foreign Office, adding, these talks will be preceded by a meeting of the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries. The two Ministers will also co-chair the Plenary of the India-Pakistan Joint Commission to be held in Islamabad on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan Friday met to discuss the agenda of bilateral talks between the Foreign Ministers of the two countries. Talks between Pakistan Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani and his Indian counterpart Ranjan Mathai was a preparatory meeting to finalise the agenda for the discussions between External Affairs Minister S M Krihna, and his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar on Saturday. "Talks were positive and very good. We had an overview of issues before Foreign Minister-level talks and now we will brief our Ministers", said Foreign Secretary Jilani while talking to media after the talks. The ministers of the two countries will co-chair the Joint Commission Meeting on Saturday. The talks will mainly focus on liberal visa regime, terrorism, trade, and exchange of prisoners on humanitarian basis.