ISLAMABAD, February 18 (IslamOnline.net) - Pakistan and India agreed Wednesday, February 17, to a roadmap of four-month discussions on disputes including the issue of Kashmir.

After a meeting with his Indian counterpart, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar told a press conference they agreed to kickoff a composite dialogue in May this year which would continue at various levels, to be crowned with a meeting of the two foreign ministers in August.

"We do have before us a sort of a basic roadmap for a Pakistan, India peace process," he said.

Khokhar added that several committees and officials would be discussing all the major issues and disputes in detail to formulate proposals for the foreign ministers.

These proposals, added the diplomat, would then go to the top government level for approval.

A joint statement issued at the end of three days of discussions between the two sides in Islamabad said they agreed to approach the composite dialogue with the sincere desire to discuss and arrive at a peaceful settlement of all pending issues, including Jammu and Kashmir.

The statement gave a detailed description of the process of the composite dialogue starting from a meeting of the two foreign secretaries in May or June this year.

Khokhar said he has been invited by his Indian colleague to New Delhi for this round of meeting.

He said foreign secretaries would formally kick start the composite dialogue process in the meeting in Delhi where they will discuss issues related to peace and security, confidence building measures and Jammu and Kashmir.

"We have to take the dialogue process forward. We are moving ahead in good manner," President Pervez Musharraf told religious scholars after the meeting.

The second round of talks, Khokhar added, would take place in July to discuss border disputes like Siachin, Wullar barrage, Sir Kreek, terrorism, economic cooperation, drug smuggling and friendly exchanges in various fields.

The level of this round of talk would be decided later.

Khokhar told newsmen three technical committees would be formed to discuss issues at the technical level.

Director General Pakistan Rangers and Inspector General of Indian Border Security Force will meet in March-April.

Experts from the two sides would discuss confidence building measures on nuclear issues in May.

He said foreign secretaries would meet in August to formalize all the proposals coming out of these talks.

Foreign Ministers would then meet in August to review the overall progress to brief the heads of the governments and take advice from them on future steps.

Khokhar said the two sides have agreed to strengthen the contact between the director general of military operations from the two armies.

He said the roadmap for peace in the region would “eventually lead to the resolution of disputes and bring peace to the region”.

The diplomat said the two foreign secretaries have agreed that war is not an option but have not discussed a formal no war pact.

He said no proposals on any issues were exchanged during the three days of talks and all the two delegations had done was to chalk out a time frame.

Pakistan and India went into war three times since independence in 1947, two on the Himalayan Muslim-majority region of Kashmir, which is divided between India and Pakistan but claimed in full by both countries.