Although not all the eight working groups appointed to continue the second phase of the Pakistan-India composite dialogue have met, the two foreign secretaries are to meet here on September 1 to review the progress and determine a meeting date for their respective foreign ministers to decide on the future course and its schedule.
Revealing this to his regular weekly briefing here on Monday, the foreign office spokesman also disclosed that Pakistan-Iran would proceed with construction of a gas pipeline early next year even if India decided to stay away and also that Islamabad had presented its case on Baglihar dam to the World Bank's neutral expert last Thursday.
About the foreign secretaries talks, Muhammad Naeem Khan said they will also take a decision on the next meeting of their foreign ministers before concluding their parleys here.
Most of the groups dealing with trade, defence, marine, border demarcations and information have met over the last five months but the most important of all, the first group to tackle the peace and security and Kashmir issues has not convened so far. As the two foreign secretaries head the group, the coming meeting might give it a try.
The Indian delegation led by its External Affairs Secretary, Shyam Saran is to arrive here on August 31 to meet Pakistani counterparts led by Riaz Muhammad Khan. The talks are expected to last two days.
The agenda of the meeting, according to Muhammad Naeem Khan, the Foreign Office Spokesman has an appraisal of peace and security, Jammu and Kashmir, Siachin, Sir Creek, Wuller Barrage, terrorism and drug trafficking, economic and trade co-operation and promotion of friendly relations.
The spokesman could not say as to when the meeting of the foreign ministers should be expected, but the guess it that it may happen in the proposed meeting of President Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh during UN General Assembly in second half of September.
Naeem Khan was very hopeful of such a meeting but could not say as to when it will take place as no date has been fixed for it. He however said that the meeting would provide "an opportunity to the two leaders to discuss all issues, including Jammu and Kashmir" and explore all options for the solution of the major dispute.
Usually the General Assembly of the United Nations opens its annual session on September 18 but this year it may be a day later on Monday and is attended by most Heads of State who later return home leaving the delegation to their foreign ministers.
In such a situation this year, Khurshid Kasuri as well as his Indian counterpart, Kunwar Nutwar Singh may not be available for their meeting during September unless enthused by Pak-India mini-summit they decide to find time during their stay in New York and give a push to the dialogue.
Another two important announcements made by the foreign office spokesman were about the Pakistan-Iran-India gas pipeline and presentation of Pakistan case to the World Bank on Baglihar Dam that India is building upstream Chenab River in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty. Replying to a question, Naeem Khan told in his weekly briefing that "project structure" for Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline would be in place by the end of coming November and work on construction was scheduled for early next year.
He told a questioner that Pakistan had decided to go ahead with the project even if India decides to stay away from it. China, according to an earlier report had shown interest in the project and wanted the extension of the pipeline to its western regions. This factor has encouraged Pakistan and Iran to go ahead with the project without waiting for India to make up its mind.
On the Baglihar Dam, the spokesman confirmed that Pakistan had presented its case to the neutral expert appointed by the World Bank last Thursday through the bank-appointed co-ordinator at Washington.
The neutral expert was now awaiting the Indian version after which he will fix a date for visiting the site of the dam that according to earlier decision would take place sometime in early October. Experts from both countries are to accompany Professor Raymond Lafitte during his visit to the site.
As far as Kishan Ganga Dam in the Indian-held territory was concerned, the spokesman said India had not yet responded to Pakistan's suggestion for talks proposed from August 29 to September 3.
When his attention was drawn to a report that a Pakistani prisoner had died in the Indian custody and asked about the progress on talks on the release of nationals in adverse possession, Naeem Khan said that Pakistan had so far confirmed the national status of 177 persons and a decision on 222 others had not been possible as India had not granted consular access to those prisoners. These include 14 fishermen also.
He emphasised the need for giving "humanitarian consideration" to such cases and said that at least India should repatriate 177 persons whose nationality has been confirmed by Islamabad.
Replying to a question the spokesman said that Pakistani experts already in Vienna would be meeting the officials of the international atomic energy authority (IAEA) to share the results of the analysis carried out to find the origin of contamination discovered in Iranian nuclear plant. Pakistan, he said was co-operating with the IAEA in response to a request from the agency.