Indo-Pak officials hold border talks

The talks on the Sir Creek estuary, that flows into the Arabian sea between the Pakistani province of Sindh and Gujarat, are part of a tentative peace process the nuclear-armed neighbours launched in early 2004.

The two countries agreed in May to carry out a joint survey of the 100-km long estuary. Their military officials will discuss modalities for conducting the survey in talks on Friday and Saturday in Rawalpindi.

"The delegations of the two countries will deliberate and work out a mechanism for undertaking a joint survey in Sir Creek," the Pakistani Ministry of Defence said in a release.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, who has called for compromise over the core dispute with India over Kashmir, said this month the Sir Creek dispute "can be resolved expeditiously with courage".

Analysts say demarcation of the estuary should not be difficult to agree but decades of mistrust have hampered a settlement.

India says the boundary should lie in the middle of the estuary, basing its claim on accepted practice as well as pillars built down the middle of the channel during British colonial rule.

Pakistan says the border should lie on the southeastern bank of the creek, basing its claim on a line shown on a map drawn by the British governor of Bombay in the early 20th century.

Experts say the two countries could reach a compromise through a new survey. The water flow has changed over the decades, necessitating the re-demarcation of the area.