A month after the first political engagement between India and Pakistan took place after the new Pakistan Government was in place, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmoud Qureishi is due to arrive on Friday to “carry forward the dialogue” between the two countries.Qureishi, during his three-day visit, will hold talks with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee. He will also meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, BJP’s Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha L K Advani and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Jaswant Singh.Developing “coal deposits in the Thar desert” jointly by the two countries, increasing trains across the border, enhancing trade relations are among the several cross-Line of Control (LoC) confidence-building measures (CBMs) that would be discussed.This is Qureishi’s first visit as the Foreign Minister, although he has been to India before in other capacities.After two days of official and political meetings, he will head for a visit to Ajmer Sharif, Jaipur and Chandigarh before departing for Pakistan.
