Sartaj Aziz to visit India for talks on August 23

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz will visit New Delhi for security talks on August 23, he said on Thursday, in the rivals' first attempt in months to restart talks.

"I can confirm that I will be going to India on August 23," Sartaj Aziz told a news conference. Aziz said his visit was "not a breakthrough in terms of composite dialogue and all the issues but at least it is an ice breaking on some issues.. and let's hope it will lead to further more comprehensive dialogue on the other issues between the two countries".

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, in their meeting at Ufa (Russia) in July, had agreed that a meeting of the National Security Advisers (NSAs) would be convened to "discuss all issues connected to terrorism".

Since the meeting, howev- er, a series of militant attacks and border skirmishes have poisoned the atmosphere.

Earlier during the month New Delhi had proposed a meeting of NSAs on Aug 23 for discussing the terrorist threat faced by India and Pakistan. The invitation for dialogue on terrorism came in the shadow of the July 27 militant attack in Gurdaspur, which Indian leaders have blamed on Pakistan.

India is planning to raise the issue of trial of alleged Mumbai plotters by a Pakistani court and the bail for Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, the principal accused in the case. Pakistan would, meanwhile, want to flag its concerns about Indian involvement in terrorism in Karachi, Balochistan and tribal areas. India has long been accused of fuelling insurgency in Balochistan and unrest in Karachi. Indian intelligence agency RAW is also reportedly patronising militant groups that have been fighting Pakistan Army in tribal areas.