Pakistan accepts India's invitation for security talks

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan has accepted an invitation from India for a bilateral meeting between security advisers from the two nuclear-armed rival nations later this month, a top government official said Thursday. Sartaj Aziz, adviser to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on national security and foreign affairs, said he would travel to neighboring India's capital on Aug. 23 to meet with his Indian counterpart. Describing his upcoming visit to New Delhi as an ice-breaking, he expressed hope that it would help resolve outstanding issues between the two countries. "We do believe that dialogue resolves the issues," Aziz told reporters in Islamabad. The announcement came weeks after Sharif and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed on the sidelines of a summit in Russia to arrange a meeting between their security advisers. The discussions at the upcoming meeting are to focus on combatting terrorism in the region. The hostility between Pakistan and India dates back seven decades, but strains have grown since nationalist Modi took office a year ago. Also, skirmishes between Pakistani and Indian troops along the border with Kashmir have increased in recent months. — AP