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Expressing "satisfaction" over the progress of talks with India on bilateral issues including Siachen and Sir Creek, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf today said resolution of Kashmir was essential for achieving durable peace in the region. Musharraf apprised his top army commanders of his talks with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who visited Pakistan on January 13-14, and expressed "optimism and hope" over the Indo-Pak peace process and "satisfaction on the progress over Sir Creek and Siachen issues." He was addressing the 100th Corps Commanders at the army headquarters in Rawalpindi, the first opportunity for the top brass of the Pakistani Army to review the outcome of talks held during Mukherjee's visit here. The External Affairs Minister met Musharraf before holding talks with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and later his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid M Kasuri. Pakistan has given to India a "detailed and comprehensive package" to resolve the conflict over Siachen, Kasuri told reporters. "It is for India to seriously consider this matter," he said. The Navies of the two countries yesterday began a joint survey of Sir Creek, a 65 mile-long marshy strip off the Gujarat coast, to determine the disputed maritime zone. Kasuri, after his talks with Mukherjee, said Pakistan was willing to meet India's concerns over indicating troops positions. India, however, wants the authentication of the positions held by troops of both the countries. Britain boosts funding of India's 'Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan' H S Rao London, Jan 16 (PTI) Britain has decided to boost funding for India's state-run programme for universal primary education. Chancellor Gordon Brown will announce the increased funding for the primary school enrolment programme called Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) during his three-day official visit commencing tomorrow. Official sources today said the Chancellor will announce in Gurgaon on Thursday the major investment to help the country achieve universal primary education. He will be accompanied by UK's Development Minister Gareth Thomasm. The SSA is being supported by UK's Department for International Development (DFID), the World Bank and th ZCZC URG ESPL INT NRG VSAT .LONDON FES120 BROWN-LDEDUCATION Britain boosts funding of India's 'Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan' H S Rao London, Jan 16 (PTI) Britain has decided to boost funding for India's state-run programme for universal primary education. Chancellor Gordon Brown will announce the increased funding for the primary school enrolment programme called Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) during his three-day official visit commencing tomorrow. Official sources today said the Chancellor will announce in Gurgaon on Thursday the major investment to help the country achieve universal primary education. He will be accompanied by UK's Development Minister Gareth Thomasm. The SSA is being supported by UK's Department for International Development (DFID), the World Bank and the European Commission. DFID has contributed 210 million pounds to SSA in the last three years. DFID is working with the Government of India, the World Bank and the European Commission to prepare a second phase of external support for the period 2007 to 2010, an official spokesman said today. Under the new programme, Britain wants to get every primary-aged child in India into school. It is part of Gordon Brown's dream to persuade developed countries to pull their weight to get every child in the world into primary school, sources said. "If the intention was to find where the troops were, we could find ways and means to meet India's concerns," Kasuri said. In his meeting with the Commanders, Musharraf dwelt on the international and regional environment and its relevance to the security of Pakistan and briefed them about the ongoing Pak-India peace process. The participants also had a comprehensive discussion on the situation prevailing along the Pak-Afghan border, an official release said. Islamabad is under pressure from the United States and NATO countries who have deployed their troops in Afghanistan to reign in Taliban militants, who they claimed operated from Pakistan's Quetta region. Musharraf rejected statements that Pakistan was fighting terrorism under any pressure. "Terrorism is a threat to our national security which will be eliminated at all costs and Pakistan will not allow anyone to use its soil for terrorist activities," he said. Reports here said Musharraf was considering a review of the North Waziristan peace deal struck with tribal elders last year to prevent militant infiltration, which the US and other countries felt was a "total failure." The President apprised the participants about decisions taken to control illegal movements across the international border, repatriation of Afghan refugees and rooting out terrorism from the country in general and Federally Administered Tribal Areas in particular. The commanders reviewed the four-pronged strategy being followed in FATA.
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