Pakistan, India fail to make breakthrough progress in the negotiations

Senior Pakistani and Indian interior ministry officials Friday ended two-day talks in Islamabad to introduce a "relaxed visa regime" and to promote people-to-people contacts, but failed to make any breakthrough.

The two sides, however, agreed to the discussions on the new visa agreement and the next meeting of joint working group will be held at New Delhi before the end of August, a joint statement said.

"The discussions were held in a friendly and cordial atmosphere, " said the statements, adding the two sides discussed details and modalities of visa facilitation with a view to easing travel for nationals of either country desiring to visit the other.

The two sides also discussed amendments in the existing visa agreement and agreed to continue the discussions in the next meeting at New Delhi for finalization at the next Home/Interior Secretary level talks in Islamabad, it said.

The meeting examined the modalities for streamlining the visa procedures and to finalize the draft of bilateral visa agreement.

It was the first meeting of the joint working group, which was held in pursuance of the decision taken during the Pakistan-India Interior/Home Secretaries level talks held in New Delhi in March 2011.

The Pakistan delegation was led by Additional Interior Secretary Nasar Hayat and the Indian delegation was led by G.V.V. Sharma, Joint Secretary (Foreigners) of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Sources said that during the talks, a proposal was discussed to relax norms for issuance of visa to journalists, businessmen, senior citizens and patients traveling for medical treatment but they failed to reach an agreement.

Under the proposal, the visa issued for journalists, businessmen, senior citizens or patients traveling for treatment will not be city specific and visa holders would be allowed to travel across the country, according to officials.

Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram says India is "positive" to liberalize visa regime with Pakistan to facilitate greater people- to-people contacts between the two nations.

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2 policemen killed in checkpoint attack in Quetta, Pakistan

A minimum of two policemen were killed in an attack launched Sunday by unknown gunmen at a checkpoint in Pakistan's southwest city of Quetta, reported regional media DAWN.

According to the report, the attack took spot inside the afternoon when some unknown gunmen riding motorbikes opened fired on a checkpoint on the Spinny road with the city, killing two policemen on duty and injuring 3 other people which includes a single cop and two passersby.

The gunmen fled the scene just before huge contingent of law enforcement personnel reached the website.

No group has claimed the responsibility for the attack.

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16 injured as explosive-laden vehicle rams into police station in Peshawar, Pakistan

At least 16 people including policemen and one child were injured as an explosive-laden vehicle rammed into a police station early Wednesday morning in Pakistan's northwest city of Peshawar, reported local English TV channel Express.

According to the report, the entire building of a CID (Center of Investigation Department) police station located on the University road of the city was leveled to ground after being hit by an explosive-laden vehicle at about 4:40 a.m. local time Wednesday morning.

Many people were feared buried under the building after explosion and 16 people so far pulled out by the rescue team have been shifted to nearby hospital. At least four of the injured people are in critical condition, said hospital sources.

The blast, which occurred in the heart of the city, was so huge that even people living at the outskirts of the city can hear the blast, said an eyewitness.

Police have cordoned off the area and an investigation into the case is underway. No group has claimed the responsibility for the blast yet.

Wednesday morning's incident in Peshawar is the latest terrorist attack in Pakistan. Following the killing of the al- Qaida chief Osama bin Laden by the U.S. forces in Pakistan early this month, a series of terrorist attacks have been launched by Pakistan Taliban in the country, most of which are targeting at the army and police.

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