Gujral, Sharif meet

Prime Minister I K Gujral and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif met in Kurumba village resort in Maldives on Monday for one hour to find ways and means to address all outstanding issues between the two countries.

According to official sources, the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere. They are scheduled to address a joint press conference at the disco floor of the Palm Bar in the village. The three-day summit was inaugurated by the Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom after it was formally opened by SAARC outgoing Chairman Gujral.

Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of the SAARC countries adopted the summit draft declaration agreeing to intensify economic cooperation, fight terrorism and drug trafficking, take effective steps to eradicate poverty, promote tourism, protect environment and enhance the role of women in development.

Talking to reporters immediately after the meeting, Pakistan Foreign Minister Gohar Ayub Khan said his country had opposed the ''growth quadrangle'' formed by India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan within the SAARC, contending that it could weaken the grouping.

Meanwhile, Pakistan on Monday denied that any 1971 Indian war prisoners were in Pakistan jails, but admitted that some Indian fishermen were languishing in prisons in that country.

''If anyone says anything to the contrary, I am ready to convince him,'' said Ayub Khan.

This is the first time Pakistan has categorically denied that it was holding any Indian troops from the 1971 operations in jails.

UNI

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