ISLAMABAD: India has handed over a draft agreement to Pakistan to liberalise the 1974 visa regime between the two countries.

Disclosing this at an interactive session with the South Asian Free Media Association here on Friday, Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Shivshankar Menon said the draft was given over a year and half ago and India was awaiting a response.

He was responding to a question on the decision of immigration authorities to deny permission to family members of a senior judge of Pakistan Supreme Court, Justice Bhagwandas, earlier this week.

Mr. Menon said the visa regime between India and Pakistan was `complicated' as it specified the entry and exit points, the number of cities a citizen could visit and whether or not he/she would be exempt from reporting to police stations.

"It was precisely to overcome these difficulties that India proposed changes in the existing visa regime," he said.

Sustainable dialogue

He expressed confidence about the momentum of the India-Pak peace process and said the third round of composite dialogue may result in "tangible" progress on some key issues, including Sir Creek and the Siachen. "It is important that the dialogue process is sustainable in the long run," the envoy said.

"Thanks to the successful completion of two rounds of dialogue since 2004, we have a very good sense how to tackle problems like Siachen and Sir Creek in a pragmatic way," he said.

In a veiled reference to the offer allegedly made by Hizbul Mujahideen leader Sayed Salahuddin that militant groups could take part in dialogue under certain conditions, Mr. Menon said: "We are ready to talk with everybody. There is flexibility within the Constitution which permit us to do this."

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