India and Pakistan have formed a joint working group on governance to share each other's experiences for strengthening their local government systems.

The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding at a meeting held on Friday, Dawn newspaper reported.

National Reconstruction Bureau secretary Humayun Ishaque Chohan and Indian Panchayati Raj Ministry Secretary Meenakshi Datta Ghosh signed the document on behalf of their respective governments.

The working group will consist of nominees from the two sides to be intimated through correspondence. The first meeting of the JWG will be held in New Delhi on mutually agreed dates and its agenda will be finalised later.

The group will recommend schedules of activities for bilateral exchanges between the two countries to the forum with the Minister of Panchayati Raj and the NRB chairman as its co-chairs.

Panchayati Raj Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar and NRB Chairman Daniyal Aziz at a meeting in June 2005 had agreed to set up a Pakistan-India joint forum on local governance.

The meeting was followed by discussions between the NRB chief and the Secretary on the sidelines of the Forum of Ministers of Social Development from Asia held in Bhurban on May 27 this year to devise a methodology for the establishment and working of the forum.