ISLAMABAD: Pakistan expects the fourth round of the composite dialogue with India, which begins on Tuesday with a two-day meeting here of the two Foreign Secretaries, to make progress on the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir issue.

The Foreign Ministry said on Monday that it was waiting for India's response to President Pervez Musharraf's "ideas" on the resolution of the Kashmir issue.

"On Jammu and Kashmir, it is important that we now move from confidence-building measures to dispute resolution," Ministry spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said.

She recalled the statement by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh welcoming Gen. Musharraf's proposals and saying that they should be discussed with an "open mind."

Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon was to arrive here late on Monday with officials of the Ministry of External Affairs. The talks will continue until Wednesday.

The composite dialogue framework covers eight subjects, and talks are held between secretaries of the Ministries dealing with these subjects.

The Foreign Secretaries deal with the two important issues of Jammu and Kashmir, and peace and security. Under peace and security, the two sides discuss an entire range of issues relating to their conventional and nuclear military capabilities.

The spokesperson said there may be discussions on Pakistan's earlier proposal of a "strategic restraint regime" — this includes mutual force reduction and freezing of missile programmes by both — that India has long rejected on the ground that its security needs cannot be linked to Pakistan alone.

Pakistan also wants to "finalise" agreements that it says have been in the pipeline for some time, including one on the quick repatriation of inadvertent border crossers, a new visa regime, and on holding quarterly flag meetings between sector commanders on both side of the Line of Control.

On the visas issue, Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri carried with him a new set of proposals on his recent visit to New Delhi, following a request from Minister of External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee for a reconsideration for its earlier tough response to the 2005 Indian proposals.

Siachen issue

The Foreign Secretaries will work out dates for meetings on the other six subjects, namely Siachen, Sir Creek, Wullar Barrage, Cultural Exchanges and People to People Contact, Trade, and Terrorism and Drug Trafficking.

The first meeting of the joint anti-terror mechanism held here last week, and the resolution of the row over travel restrictions on diplomats to the satisfaction of both countries has sent some positive signals ahead of the Foreign Secretaries meeting.

The spokeswoman said Pakistan was "happy" the meeting of the joint mechanism took place, as it enabled both sides to exchange information. She expressed the hope that India would act on evidence Pakistan gave to India of its alleged role in stoking trouble in Balochistan and Sindh.

Another issue that has "high priority" for Pakistan is to get the committee on cross-border prisoners activated as early possible. As proposed at the meeting of the two Foreign Ministers here in January, both sides have named four judges each to the committee, which must now tour prisons in both countries, meet the prisoners and suggest ways to ensure their humane treatment and early release and repatriation.

The spokeswoman said Pakistan had "no problems" with the proposed visit by the families of Indian soldiers who they say are still being held prisoners of war in this country.

She said there were no Indian PoWs in Pakistan, but if visiting Pakistan "would somehow assuage [the families'] concerns and bring some sort of closure, we have no problem with that."

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