India, Pakistan reschedule high-level peace talks

NEW DELHI -- India rescheduled high-level peace talks with Pakistan on Thursday while it evaluated actions taken by Islamabad against Pakistan-based insurgents it blames for an attack on an Indian air-force base earlier this month.

Top diplomats were scheduled to meet today in the Pakistani capital to set out a roadmap for talks on settling the Kashmir dispute and other irritants in their ties.

Vikas Swarup, India's External Affairs Ministry spokesman, told reporters the meeting will be held in "the very near future."

He denied speculation the talks would collapse because of the attack.

In Islamabad, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qazi Khallullah said Pakistan and India had agreed to reschedule the foreign secretary-level talks in the near future.

He refused to provide any further details.

India welcomed Pakistan's announcement Wednesday of the arrest of several people from an outlawed Islamic militant group believed to be linked to the assault in Pathankot, close to India's border with Pakistan.

Seven Indian soldiers and six attackers died.

"The (Pakistani) statement conveys that considerable progress has been made in the investigations being carried out against terrorist elements linked to the Pathankot incident," Indian spokesman Swarup said.

"The action against the Jaish-e-Mohammad (group) is an important and positive first step."