Easier visas for elderly, children

Even as the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan began talks in Islamabad on a range of confidence building measures, government sources here said a joint working group would conclude a deal on a liberal visa regime soon.

Even as the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan began talks in Islamabad on a range of confidence building measures, government sources here said a joint working group would conclude a deal on a liberal visa regime soon.

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The group has been discussing the issue, and a government functionary said the group was expected to finalise the policy in its next meeting in New Delhi.

The proposal is to give visas to senior citizens, children, businessmen, journalists and people travelling for medical treatment without security checks.

Meanwhile, although the secretaries, India's Nirupama Rao and her counterpart Salman Bashir, are considering some more confidence building measures in Islamabad, India took up terrorism on the very first day.

The Indian side sought a closure on the November 26, 2008 Mumbai attack case.

"That means unravelling of the conspiracy and bringing the guilty to book," said an Indian official.

Pointing out that the visas would not be city-specific, an official said here that New Delhi was also in favour of abolishing the policy under which the entry and exit ports have to be same.

Also, the more than 100 Kashmiri militants, who crossed over years ago, have accepted the government's special rehabilitation policy and are expected to return home next month.