Natwar Singh leaves for Pakistan; Afghan visit cancelled

NEW DELHI, Feb 15 (UNI): External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh left for Pakistan after the Afghanistan leg of the three-day two- nation tour was cancelled this morning due to inclement weather in Kabul.

Official sources said Singh will have official engagements from tomorrow in Islamabad.

Singh was scheduled to visit Afghanistan for a day and then proceed to Islamabad in the evening for talks with his Pakistani counterpart on furthering the composite dialogue process between the two countries.

The sources said the Afghanistan leg of the visit was called off as the Kabul airport had been closed after heavy snow.

The Pakistan visit is the first bilateral visit at the Foreign Ministers level after 1989.

At the talks between Singh and the Pakistani leadership including his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri, a major breakthrough is expected on the proposed Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service.

Singh is also expected to announce steps to infuse greater momentum into the fledgling peace process.

Peace will top the agenda of Singh's meetings with the Pakistani leadership.

"During his stay, Mr Singh will call on President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz besides hold formal talks with Mr Kasuri," sources said.

"They will review the progress achieved so far in the composite dialogue, which has entered the second phase with the meeting between Pakistani and Indian foreign secretaries, held here last December," the sources added.

There are reports that during the visit, Singh will take up the issue of transit facilities for Indian goods to Afghanistan through Pakistan, which currently are transported through Iran.

The transit would give a big boost to India-Afghanistan trade which is currently at about 200 million dollars.