Islamabad - Senior Indian and Pakistani officials on Friday began parleys on trade and travel across the de facto border in the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir, officials said.

The meeting was earlier scheduled for July 10 but had to be postponed because the Indian diplomat who was to lead it flew to Afghan capital Kabul after the deadly suicide attack on the Indian embassy that killed at least 60 people.

Pakistan Foreign Ministry's Director General for South Asia Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry was heading the Pakistani delegation while the Indian side was led by Indian External Affairs Ministry's Joint Secretary TCA Raghvan.

Islamabad, July 18: The meeting of the Pakistan-India Technical Working Group on Kashmir-related CBMs will be held here today.

Earlier, the meeting was scheduled for July 10, but was postponed on India’s request. India had requested to postpone the talks as its head of the delegation had to rush to Afghanistan due to an emergency situation there in the aftermath of suicide bomb blast outside the Indian embassy in Kabul, killing 41 persons, including four Indians.

A team of eight Indian officials, led by MEA Joint Secretary TCA Raghavan will participate in the talks. The Pakistan side will be led by Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhary, Director-General (South Asia) in the Pakistan Foreign Office.

New Delhi, July 17 : Foreign Secretaries of India and Bangladesh today

New Delhi, July 17 : The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for creating project cells to expedite work in respect of six AIIMS like institution under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) Scheme.

The PMSSY was approved in March 2006 with the objective of correcting the imbalances in availability of affordable tertiary level healthcare in the country in general and to augment facilities for quality medical education in the under-served States.

The PMSSY envisages for setting up six AIIMS like institutions one each in the States of Bihar (Patna), Madhya Pradesh (Bhopal), Orissa (Bhubaneshwar), Rajasthan

London, July 17: A poll undertaken by a think tank -- World Public Opinion --l of Indians and Pakistanis reveals that half or more are open to a range of possible outcomes for Kashmir other than it being part of their respective countries.

According to the poll, on neither side is there strong majority opposition to Kashmir becoming an independent country or dividing Kashmir between Pakistan and India.

More significant, Indians and Pakistanis show a readiness to have the Kashmiri people decide their fate. If a majority of all Kashmiris were to choose independence, a majority of Indians and Pakistanis would find such independence at least tolerable.