Islamabad, March 4, IRNA - Top Pakistani and Indian officials will meet on Tuesday to discuss “ways and means to further streamline and improve the modalities regarding trade across the Line of Control, which divides the two countries in the disputed Kashmir region, a Foreign Ministry statement said.
The talks in New Delhi will take place weeks after the cross-LoC trade and bus service had been temporarily suspended on January 15 in a tit-for-tat detention of drivers over allegations and counter allegations of narcotics smuggling. The trade and bus services have now been resumed.
Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry and Indian High Commissioner Dr. T.C.A. Raghavan agreed in their meeting in Islamabad late January to hold a meeting of the Pakistan-India Joint Working Group (JWG) on Cross-LoC Confidence Building Measures in New Delhi on 4 March 2014.
“The JWG would discuss ways and means to further streamline and improve the modalities regarding trade across the LoC,” the statement added.
Both sides will also review the current status of the CBMs that are in place and give its recommendations.
The Working Group is meeting after a gap of one and half years. The last meeting was held in July 2012 in Islamabad.
