India and Pakistan held talks in Islamabad on Saturday to work out modalities for providing relief and medical assistance to earthquake victims on both sides of Kashmir through the Line of Control appeared to have been bogged down with differences.
After nine hours of talks held in three sessions, Indian officials in Islamabad said they had forwarded certain proposals for Pakistan and awaited a reply. Details of the Indian proposals, however, have not been disclosed.
Pak to formally request opening LoC
Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesperson Tasneem Aslam told PTI that talks were continuing and they were adjourned for a while after Indian delegation wanted a break.
"We hope they come back to resume talks," she said.
Asked whether talks were deadlocked, she said there was no major problem and expressed hope that both sides would reach an agreement soon.
Talks began around 10:30 AM at the Pakistan Foreign Office between a six-member Indian delegation headed by Dilip Sinha, joint secretary of the external affairs ministry and the Pakistani team led by Ibne Abbas, the director general of south asia division in Pakistan Foreign Office, and went on till 08:00 PM.
No follow-up on LoC offer from Pak: India
"The one-day meet would decide the modalities for Kashmiris to cross the LoC to meet each other," Aslam told reporters.
The focus of Saturday's parleys were proposals and counter-proposals submitted by both countries to work out modalities to permit the relatives of the recent earthquake victims on both sides of Kashmir to visit each other, exchange relief, take part in reconstruction efforts as well as operationalise relief camps being set up by both countries along the LoC.
India has proposed to open relief camps at three points -- Aman Setu in Uri, Teetwal in Tangdhar and Chakan Da Bagh in Poonch -- on the LoC where quake victims from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir could come over and avail medical treatment and relief material.
Pakistan has suggested five locations along the LoC.
