India, Pakistan pledge to improve bilateral ties at Male - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Expressing their satisfaction on the resumed India-Pakistan Home Secretaries' dialogue, Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and his Pakistani counterpart Rehman Malik have pledged to take more steps to improve the bilateral relations. The two leaders met over lunch hosted by Malik on the sidelines of the ongoing SAARC conference of home/interior ministers on Tuesday. The luncheon meeting was followed by a brief restricted meeting between both the ministers. This was the first meeting between the ministers, following their telephone conversation on August 19. During the meeting, both sides agreed that the newly-signed bilateral visa agreement would be operationalized at a mutually-agreed date, after the notification of the visa rules and regulations by the respective Governments. The two ministers also discussed matters of mutual interest and concern, which inter alia covered the core concerns of terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, issues relating to fishermen, and release of prisoners. Both sides agreed to maintain interaction on intelligence relating to terrorism and other matters of common interest. Shinde raised the issue of illegal border crossings including infiltration on the Border/LoC and both agreed that designated authorities will address these concerns and review the matter from time to time. Shinde referred to the requests made by the Home Ministry of India, some of which remain pending with the Pakistani side since the last meeting between the Home Ministers of India and Pakistan . Malik reiterated Pakistan 's commitment to ensure that the trials in Pakistan , with regard to the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, would be taken to their logical conclusion. In this regard, he mentioned the need for India to receive a visit by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan. Shinde assured his counterpart of an early response to this request. Both affirmed their resolve to remain in close contact. Malik renewed his invitation for Minister Shinde to visit Pakistan on mutually-convenient dates, which the latter accepted with pleasure. Shinde also invited Malik to visit India soon, which the latter accepted with pleasure.