Pawar to meet Musharraf on Friday

The two would discuss the Indian cricket team's tour to Pakistan and relations between the two countries.

BCCI President Sharad Pawar would meet President Pervez Musharraf in Rawalpindi on Friday to discuss the Indian cricket team's tour to Pakistan and relations between the two countries.

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Pawar, who would arrive in Karachi by a special plane tomorrow to attend the ICC meeting, would fly to Islamabad the same night and meet Musharraf Friday morning before proceeding to Lahore to watch the first day's play of the first cricket Test.

Though described as a courtesy call, it is believed Pawar, also Union Minister for Agriculture, will be meeting Musharraf following the Pakistan President's interview to an Indian TV channel in which he sounded bitter about the lack of response from the Indian government to his initiatives and peace proposals.

The issues relating to peace process was expected to come up as Pawar was the first senior Indian minister to meet Musharraf in the recent times.

The meeting also takes place ahead of commencement of the third round of the Composite Dialogue process by the Foreign Secretaries of both the countries in New Delhi on Jan 17.