Rajapakse will meet with his Pakistani counterpart, President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz during the three day visit that will begin on March 31, ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said.

``The talks will cover the complete range of bilateral relations between our two countries,'' she told a weekly news conference in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka are expected to sign several agreements and memorandums of understanding during Rajapakse's visit, she said without giving details.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka enjoy friendly relations. The two countries have signed a free trade agreement, and cooperate in defense and fighting terrorism.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka, along with India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and the Maldives, are members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation or SAARC. The grouping was set up in 1985 to promote trade and economic cooperation in South Asia. Discuss this story Published: Mon Mar 20 10:12:32 EST 2006

The six month's delay was announced due to difficulties in holding the elections stated by the respective district election returning officers, election officials here said.

Accordingly elections for some 45 councils in the north and a part of the eastern province will not be held on March 30.

An administration for one of the councils out of the total 46 has already been appointed uncontested.

However 31 councils in the eastern provinces's Ampara and Trincomalee districts will have elections as scheduled on 30 March,officials added. More... Discuss this story Published: Mon Mar 20 07:59:00 EST 2006