India and Pakistan will start a home secretary-level talks Tuesday on cross-border security, the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) reported Monday.

Indian Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta and Pakistani Interior Secretary Syed Kamal will attend the talks on issues like terrorism, narcotics control, the release of fishermen, as well as illegal border-crossing in Kashmir, the report said.

The two sides are also likely to discuss investigations of the last July 11 Mumbai commuter train blasts and the blasts on the link train of the cross-border train Samjhauta Express in February this year.

New Delhi may renew its demand for the extradition of Dawood Ibrahim, the prime accused in the 1993 Mumbai blasts. Islamabad has consistently denied the presence of India's "most wanted criminals" in its territory.

The IANS report said another issue that will figure prominently in the talks is the release of prisoners in each other's country.

India may bring up its proposal for a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) during the discussions.

At the last home secretary-level talks in Islamabad in May last year, both sides had agreed to release fishermen and civilian prisoners who had completed their prison sentences and have been granted consular access and whose national status has been verified.

Ahead of the talks, India released 40 Pakistani prisoners, including 10 fishermen, as a goodwill gesture.

New Delhi is awaiting the confirmation of the nationality of 48 other fishermen, who would be repatriated immediately after their identity is established.

Source: Xinhua