By IANS
New Delhi : Home secretaries of India and Pakistan discussed issues like controlling cross-border terror, infiltration and drug trafficking, as also the release of prisoners in each other's jails in their two-day talks that began here Tuesday.
Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta, accompanied by senior officials, held discussions with a 11-member Pakistani delegation led by Interior Secretary Syed Kamal Shah on issues like terrorism, narcotics control and the release of fishermen.
The two sides also discussed a draft agreement on relaxing visa rules and steps to check illicit drug trafficking.
Ahead of the talks, Shah set an optimistic tone for the meeting saying: "Intentions are always good. We always had positive outcome whenever we have met.
"We will be able to discuss issues and finalise some details and hope for a positive outcome on all issues of public interest," Shah told reporters.
Gupta hoped that the discussions that were part of their composite dialogue process would be "positive and fruitful", contribute to confidence building measures and improve the ambience for the India-Pakistan peace process.
During the talks, India will raise concerns about escalating terrorist infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir across the Line of Control (LoC) and press Pakistan to follow up on leads it has provided into investigation of the July 2006 Mumbai train blasts, blamed on Pakistan-based terrorists and which killed 187 people and injured hundreds.