Make ceasefire permanent: Sinha

India is interested in making the open-ended ceasefire with Pakistan a "permanent" one, External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha said here on Thursday.

Before boarding a special IAF Boeing-737 aircraft for Islamabad for the Saarc summit, he told reporters at Delhi airport, "India is interested in making this a permanent ceasefire. It is incumbent on both countries to ensure that the ceasefire holds.

"It will be our hope that both India and Pakistan will continue to ensure that this ceasefire remains in place."

Asked whether there will be any bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pakistani leaders on the sidelines of the Saarc summit, Sinha said "there will be meetings. There will be a number of occasions for official meetings and meeting socially. Apart from that there is no other meeting planned."

New Delhi, January 01, 2003 (PTI)