The exercises apparently come in the wake of similar military manoeuvres planned by India next month in Rajasthan sector about which Pakistan has already been informed.

Quoting reliable sources, the largest circulated Urdu daily Jung

said two-month ``complete military exercises'' will be launched in October in the plains of Pakistan's Punjab and deserts of Sindh province.

In the division level of these exercises, fighter planes will also be used, the reports said, adding that the purpose of conducting these exercises in winter is to review the condition and preparedness of the armed forces.

New Army chief Gen Pervez Musharraf has already issued orders for conducting these manoeuvres about which Pakistan is also informingIndia.

These exercises would be held at least 5 kms from the international border with India, the reports said.

President Muhammad Rafiq Tarar and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif are expected to witness these exercises separately, the reports added.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz has termed the forthcoming Indo-Pak talks as the ``beginning of a process'' to normalise relations between the two countries, but said much depended on ``Indian intentions'' with regard to Kashmir.

Stating that the foreign secretary level talks resuming here from October 15 may not yield an ``immediate breakthrough'', Aziz said in an exclusive interview that ``the fact that these talks are going to start after a hiatus of more than a year is itself quite significant''.

``We are not expecting an immediate breakthrough in these rounds of talks... But the fact that we are beginning a process in a serious and positive frame of mind itself lends hope to the expectations that this process can move forward,'' hesaid.

In a marked departure from Pakistan's earlier stand that other issues cannot be discussed between Islamabad and New Delhi without a resolution of the Kashmir issue, Aziz said progress can be made on all the outstanding issues, but insisted there should be some progress on Kashmir.