India postpones talks with Pak on Sir Creek issue due to "logistical" reasons

Islamabad, Nov 29 (ANI): Apparently due to the Mumbai terror strikes, the Indo-Pak talks on the Sir Creek issue have been postponed once again. India has reportedly ascribed "logistical" reasons for the same.

The important meeting on the long-running Sir Creek boundary dispute was scheduled for next week. The talks were postponed at the request of New Delhi.

Earlier, it had been officially announced that the meeting would be held on December 2-3 in New Delhi under the fifth round of Pakistan-India composite dialogue, reported The News.

Quoting diplomatic sources in Islamabad, the paper reported that postponement of the meeting was not in any way linked to the terrorist attacks in Mumbai as they confirmed that the planned visit of the Indian Indus Water Commissioner was on course.

According to a diplomatic source, the postponement of the Sir Creek meeting was sought by the Indian side much before the Mumbai tragedy. "It is basically due to a logistic issue. The Indians have a new surveyor- general who wanted more time and there is nothing more to it," the paper quoted a senior Pakistan Foreign Ministry official as saying.

New dates for the meeting have not been proposed yet, the official said, adding that they would be fixed through diplomatic channels in due course.

This was to be the first meeting on the Sir Creek issue under the fifth round of the composite dialogue formally launched on July 21 in New Delhi with foreign secretary-level talks. More importantly a breakthrough was expected at the technical-level meeting of the two surveyors-general regarding their respective positions on the disputed maritime and land boundary lines.

Notably this is the second time that the meeting on Sir Creek has been postponed. Initially it was planned for August 19 but was put off due to the July 7 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul for which New Delhi blamed ISI, a charge Islamabad denied. (ANI)