India,Pak to focus on do-ables

While discussions will continue on the expeditious trial of the Mumbai terror attacks and investigations into the Samjhauta blasts,sources said that both sides have come to the broad conclusion that they need to come out of the groove of exchange of dossiers and stress on the do-ables in the next meeting on March 28 and 29.

This conclusion was borne out of the meetings between Indian and Pakistan officials in the last few weeks,with Home Secretary G K Pillai and Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao having separately met Pakistan High Commissioner Shahid Malik in New Delhi in the last one week.

Sources said that the do-ables will include the subjects of humanitarian consideration that of languishing prisoners and fishermen in each others jails.

The issue of narcotics control will also figure prominently on the list of do-ables,as a memorandum of understanding MoU on drug demand reduction is ready for signature. This agreement had been initialed in 2007-08,when the negotiated text was frozen.

Sources said the MoU is being dusted out and will be one of the deliverables that can be signed. However,a final decision is yet to be taken whether it will be signed during the Home Secretaries meeting or should be left for the Foreign Ministers meeting in July this year.

The two sides will discuss the possibility of a meeting of the drug control chiefs of both sides the Narcotics Control Bureau NCB from India and Anti Narcotics Force ANF from Pakistan.

On the issue of prisoners,sources said there is a need to institutionalise measures to bring in some transparency and not keep ad-hoc measures,on release,sentencing or consular access to the prisoners. Both sides are discussing a non-paper on this issue,sources said.