Pak keen to bring a new thaw in its bilateral relations with India

Islamabad, Nov 28: President Pervez MusharrafAmidst prevailing political uncertainty in Pakistan, President Pervez Musharraf's regime is keen to utilise the next week's conference of SAARC Foreign Ministers in New Delhi to bring a new thaw in its bilateral relations with India, which had gone into a cold storage for a little long.

Foreign Minister of Pakistan's caretaker cabinet Inamul Haq is scheduled to meet his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee and is likely to discuss with him few bilateral issues, including the review of the fourth round of the composite dialogue process.

"He (Haq) has requested a meeting with his Indian counterpart, Pranab Mukherjee, to break the ice," The Daily Times reported.

The bilateral dialogue process between India and Pakistan went into a pause mode, after political turmoil struck Islamabad. New Delhi, however, maintained a cautious approach towards the political developments in Islamabad. Even after Musharraf imposed a state of emergency in his country, India chose to 'regret' it.

Haq is scheduled to attend the two-day SAARC ministerial conference beginning in New Delhi from December 7.

The conference that would review the progress made in the Delhi Declaration of the SAARC Summit in April this year would also appoint a new secretary general for the group.

The tenure of the incumbent, Chenkyab Dorji of Bhutan, expires in February next year, and India is fielding the lone contender for the post, Sheel Kant Sharma, currently an envoy in Vienna. (ANI)

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