Pak, India resume talks on Sir Creek row

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan and India have resumed a two-day round of talks on Sir Creek boundary issue as part of a bilateral dialogue process, with the two sides holding parleys on the maritime boundary dispute after a gap of four years, Geo News reported.

An eight-member delegation led by Surveyor General of India S Subba Rao is participating in the talks while the Pakistani side is headed by Additional Defence Secretary Rear Admiral Shah Sohail Masood.

The talks which are being held at the Defence Ministry in the garrison city of Rawalpindi are part of the bilateral dialogue process that recently revived after a gap of over two years in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

The Indian delegation will also call on Defence Secretary Syed Athar Ali .

Foreign Office said Islamabad attaches importance to the resumed dialogue process and "looks forward to a meaningful engagement with India on all issues".

During the last round of talks on the Sir Creek issue four years ago, the two countries made significant progress in resolving the dispute over the 96-km estuary in the Rann of Kutch separating India's Gujarat state from Pakistan's Sindh province.