ISLAMABAD, July 11: Regional Peace Institute (RPI) is convening its India-Pakistan track II bilateral dialogue after a lapse of three years. The first round will be held in Islamabad on Friday nd Saturday in Islamabad.
The second round will be held in New Delhi in September this year.
According to Rauf Hassan, director RPI, the principle purpose of the initiative is to encourage the youth of the two countries to take charge to move forward.
Track II diplomacy has been considered of great importance in Indo-Pak relations especially after the warlike situation between the two earlier this year.
Already tense relations between the two countries deteriorated in February when a suicide bomber attacked Indian police and killed over 40 in Indian Occupied Kashmir. Pakistan denied the allegation and asked to share the leads to conduct an inquiry.
India responded with an air strikes on what it claimed was a militant training camp in Pakistani territory.
Soon afterwards, Pakistan shot down an Indian Air Force jet when it entered the territory of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and captured its pilot. He was handed back to India days later.
The aerial attacks in February across the Line of Control (LoC) in Azad Kashmir were the first since a war in 1971.
A delegation from India will participate in the dialogue whereas representatives from the Foreign Ministry and Indian High Commission in Pakistan will also be present on the second day of the peace dialogue. -NNI
