The government is taking various steps, including provision of accomodation.
'It appears that the GoI got all that it wanted from this deal. All future options are open, both with respect to bombs and electricity. India even got assured USG support for fuel if it resumes nuclear testing.'
Official sources said the prisoners, including 10 fishermen, will be handed over to Pakistani authorities at the Attari-Wagah border.
Arrangements for initiating trade across Line of Control and its infrastructural logistics are being given final touches ahead of a formal announcement expected following the meeting between the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.
Pakistan is doing another confidence building measure with India by permitting import of cotton from the neighbouring country through Wagah border.
The question of fencing of the 4095 kilometre-long border between the two countries remained unresolved with Bangladesh resisting the move.
The United Progressive Alliance government has ordered the redeployment of troops in Jammu and Kashmir to plug gaps in security along the border and the Line of Control. According to a television report, the move is being seen as a confidence building measure ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to the state later this month.
The proposal, which came from the Jammu and Kashmir government, will do away with cumbersome and time-consuming procedures under which applications for travel get delayed for months together.
China said on Friday that it wanted cordial relations with India as its Ambassador Zhang Yan met Bharatiya Janata Party President Rajnath Singh in an effort to reach out to the main opposition party amid a war of words between the two countries.
The meeting of the Working Group on cross-Line of Control CBMs made several decisions that will be announced when the foreign secretaries meet in New Delhi during July 21-22 to launch the fifth round of the composite dialogue, official sources told PTI.
Pakistan may raise the demand for demilitarisation in Jammu and Kashmir, but India is clear that such a step can be taken only when terrorism ends in the state.
The agreed text of the proposed agreement on pre-notification of the tests will be referred to the foreign secretaries of the two countries for formalisation, Shankar said after the talks with Pakistan's additional secretary.
Pakistan does not want another war with India over Kashmir, Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar said while describing the current status of bilateral relations as the "best" the two countries had ever had.
The composite dialogue between India and Pakistan will resume on May 21 and the two countries will review progress made so far in confidence-building measures, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Wednesday. "We will review the results of the fourth round of talks (under the composite dialogue) and then plan the agenda for the fifth round to be held after this meeting," Qureshi said.
"We have to constantly upgrade our military and economic capabilities," the minister told army commanders while referring to relations with China as he opened the five-day top army commanders bi-annual conference in Delhi. His remarks are significant as the minister has just undertaken a major tour of the Sino-Indian frontier in Arunachal Pradesh.
An image of the Indian and Pakistani foreign secretaries in New Delhi.
India and Pakistan are expected to tale up issues like terrorism and Jammu and Kashmir besides confidence building measures.
"We favour scaling up the military-to-military ties with India and as part of the efforts the two countries are holding talks for joint military exercise between the air forces," Chinese Defence Attache in New Delhi Li Chao told PTI. If talks are successful, the Chinese official said the exercise between the two air forces could be held next year.
The US has said that this is not the appropriate moment for India and Pakistan to hold discussions on the Kashmir issue, as they need to go for confidence building measures first.
The compulsory peer reviews of auditors' notes for Sensex and Nifty companies for Q3 results of the last fiscal and full-year results of 2007-08 have proved a virtual non-starter, owing to confusion over its scope and the appointment of auditors.
'It could take the form of sporadic LoC violation through heavy artillery and mortar fire, focusing on border villages where the Hindu Dogra population is predominant.'
They also emphasised the centrality of the UN in promotion of international peace, favoured independence and sovereignty of Iraq, political and economic reconstruction in Afghanistan and expressed concern over situation in West Asia.
The two foreign ministers differed over kashmir, but said the ceasefire on the LoC would continue.
'It is not something that is going to unfold in the next few weeks or even the next few months.' 'This process will continue for some time. And that's how it should be.' 'If the politicians are coming on board, then that is a welcome step.'
India, Pak officials exchange ideas to promote nuclear CBMs
As India and Pakistan gear up to hold the second meeting of their joint anti-terror mechanism, a security expert on Tuesday suggested that the Inter-Services Intelligence be roped in to tackle the menace.
During the meeting, India is likely to raise the issue of the recent Hyderabad blasts with Pakistan.
The commission will tour Pondicherry on March 27 and Tamil Nadu on March 28 and 29 to review preparations.
The two countries also decided to set up a 'dedicated and secure' hotline between their foreign secretaries.
He was stopped by the administration and will be sent back by a flight later in the afternoon, the Congress leaders said.
The Indian side is likely to stress that Pakistan is not doing enough to end terrorism being perpetrated by groups based in that country and needed to do much more if the peace process was to continue.
In yet another confidence building measure, a business delegation led by Siraj Kassam Teli, president, Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry met Commerce and Industry Minister Arun Jaitley in New Delhi on Thursday.
