A landmark summit between the India and Pakistan went into extra-time today, amid tentative talk of a "constructive" atmosphere but no sign of any substantial progress.
Ensconced in a luxury hotel in the shadow of the Taj Mahal, Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf held two rounds of one-on-one discussions that lasted a total of two-and-a-half hours, with the final session ending at 3 p.m. Irish time.
A brief official statement approved by both sides said the first session, followed by delegation-level talks, had been held in a "very cordial, frank and constructive manner," but gave no details as to the substance of the meetings.
During a sightseeing visit to the nearby Taj Mahal in the afternoon, Gen Musharraf told reporters that the first round of talks had been "fruitful."
The official statement said both sides had agreed to extend the summit into tomorrow morning and that Mr Vajpayee had accepted an invitation from Gen Musharraf to visit Pakistan.
The summit was the first between the nuclear-capable South Asian rivals for more than two years, and carried hopes of finding an escape route from over half a century of mutual hostility and mistrust.
Fears remain that the talks would founder on the crucial issue of Kashmir, where police said 18 separatist militants had been shot dead today as they crossed over from Pakistani-held territory.
India and Pakistan have fought three full-scale wars since the partition of the sub-continent in 1947 - two of them over Kashmir, which is divided between the two countries and claimed by both.
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