India and Pakistan Hold Talks

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistani Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar and his Indian counterpart, Shyam Saran, exchanged proposals for peace and security in the region Monday as two days of talks began here, Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Masood Khan said.

In the only progress reported, India said it would grant visitors’ visas at its land border to Pakistanis older than 65 and younger than 12, and would let Pakistanis study in India.

Pakistan and India “will analyze the proposals before the confidence-building measures are implemented with mutual understanding” of both countries, Khan said.

The South Asian nations, both nuclear powers, have been seeking to improve ties since April 2003, after coming close to war in 2002. Since then, they have initiated a series of confidence-building measures, including a cease-fire along the heavily fortified Line of Control that divides the Kashmir region, which is claimed in full by both sides.

Diplomatic, sporting and transportation links have been resumed between the neighbors.

Talks on the Kashmir dispute were to take place today, Khan said, and he expected a “robust exchange of views.”

The two countries “have made swift movement on confidence-building measures, but progress on Jammu and Kashmir,” the Indian-held portion, hasn’t been satisfactory, he said.