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Musharraf to meet Manmohan

B. Muralidhar Reddy

Talks on the sidelines of U.N. meeting

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf leaves for New York on Sunday in connection with the 60th session of the U.N. General Assembly. His engagements include a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and an address to the American Jewish Congress, the first-ever by a Pakistani leader.

Gen. Musharraf is scheduled to speak at the high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly on September 13. He will hold talks with Dr. Singh on September 14 on the sidelines of the U.N. meeting to review the India-Pakistan dialogue process.

The Pakistan delegation will include the Foreign Minister, the Adviser to the Prime Minister for Women Development, the Chairman of the National Commission for Human Development and the Secretary of the National Security Council, an official statement here said.

Gen. Musharraf's address to the American Jewish Congress on the subject of interfaith cooperation for peace, scheduled on September 17, will be watched keenly. The President accepted the invitation days before Pakistan established its first official contact, at the Foreign Ministers-level, with Israel.

Release of prisoners

Pakistan will release 435 Indian prisoners, including 371 fishermen, on Monday, a Government spokesman said.

India had confirmed their nationality several weeks ago but their release was delayed due to Islamabad's insistence on a simultaneous release of Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails. The Foreign Ministry said there were many Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails than the numbers released there. However, India had assured that it would provide consular access to the remaining prisoners and repatriate them as soon as their nationality was confirmed.

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