Pakistan 'Working' on Singh-Sharif Meeting

Pakistan said Thursday it was working to fix a date for a meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the U.N. General Asembly.

Deadly skirmishes across the de facto border in divided Kashmir have jeopardized plans for the meeting in New York, which would come months after peace talks again stalled between the two neighbors.

Since winning an election in May Sharif has been vocal in his desire for better relations with India, but the recent flare-ups have overshadowed the prospects.

Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said the meeting would be "a useful opportunity to engage in constructive dialogue" and resume stalled peace talks.

"The date of the meeting is being worked out," he told a news conference.

"Pakistan has always supported the policy of restraint, responsibility and dialogue in the larger interest of peace in the region," Chaudhry added.

Skirmishes across the heavily militarized Line of Control have killed six Pakistanis and five Indian soldiers since August 5.

Delhi blamed the deaths of the five Indians on August 5 on the Pakistani army, but Islamabad denied any responsibility.

A deadly flare-up along the LoC in January brought a halt to peace talks that had only just resumed.

Discussions were suspended for three years after the 2008 attacks in Mumbai which killed 166 people and which India blamed on Pakistani militants.

Pakistan and India each control part of Kashmir but claim it in full. The scenic Himalayan territory has been the trigger for two of the three wars between them.