The Head of the Swiss Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sports, Federal Councillor Samuel Schmid, will pay an official visit to Pakistan on October 30-31, says an official statement. President General Pervez Musharraf has invited Schmid to visit Pakistan. Talks are planned with President Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Minister of Defense Rao Sikandar Iqbal and high-ranking military officials. Schmid's programme also includes a visit to the Line of Control between India and Pakistan in Kashmir, as well as the region of Balakot, which was severely damaged during the earthquake in 2005 and where the Swiss Government (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, SDC) is supporting the reconstruction programme.