New Delhi:
A 12-member delegation, led by Home Secretary RK Singh, left for Pakistan for talks beginning on Thursday where a relaxed visa regime is expected to be inked apart from India's insistence on action against perpetrators of the 26/11 attack.
The broad agenda of the two-day Home Secretary-level talks are expected to focus on terrorism, fugitives from Indian law like underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, who are believed to be hiding in Pakistan, narcotics, fake Indian currency notes and humanitarian issues including Indian fishermen and civilians in Pakistan jails.
The visit comes in the backdrop of Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari's visit to India on April 8 during which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had stressed on the need for Pakistan to take firm actions to curb terrorism to enable India to make forward movement in the bilateral relationship.
The Prime Minister had also asked Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai attack to justice and prevent activities aimed against India from Pakistani soil.
"These continue to be our priorities," Home Secretary RK Singh said before leaving for Islamabad.
The government had informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that there are approximately 42 terrorist training camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and majority of these camps are reported to be active.
The last round of Home Secretary-level talks was held in New Delhi in March 2011. The New Delhi joint statement had identified cooperation in the areas of counter terrorism, progress in bringing the fugitives of the Mumbai terrorist attack case to justice and a revised bilateral visa agreement as some of the priorities.
The broad agenda of the two-day Home Secretary-level talks are expected to focus on terrorism, fugitives from Indian law like underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, who are believed to be hiding in Pakistan, narcotics, fake Indian currency notes and humanitarian issues including Indian fishermen and civilians in Pakistan jails.
The visit comes in the backdrop of Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari's visit to India on April 8 during which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had stressed on the need for Pakistan to take firm actions to curb terrorism to enable India to make forward movement in the bilateral relationship.
The Prime Minister had also asked Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai attack to justice and prevent activities aimed against India from Pakistani soil.
"These continue to be our priorities," Home Secretary RK Singh said before leaving for Islamabad.
The government had informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that there are approximately 42 terrorist training camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and majority of these camps are reported to be active.
The last round of Home Secretary-level talks was held in New Delhi in March 2011. The New Delhi joint statement had identified cooperation in the areas of counter terrorism, progress in bringing the fugitives of the Mumbai terrorist attack case to justice and a revised bilateral visa agreement as some of the priorities.
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