M A I N   N E W S

India to set free Pak prisoners
Tariff to be reduced on 50 lines
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 4
Setting a positive tone for the forthcoming India-Pakistan summit at Agra, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today took a series of unilateral steps to enhance people-to-people ties and prepare ground for improving economic relations.

Assuming full and comprehensive command of the India-Pakistan affairs to set the pace for the summit with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on July 15, Mr Vajpayee made six announcements for preparing a conducive environment for talks at Agra.

Addressing newspersons at the regular media briefing scheduled two hours later than the usual briefing time, a spokeswoman of the Ministry of External Affairs, Ms Nirupama Rao, said the Prime Minister has instructed the Ministry of Home Affairs to take expeditious action for the release of all Pakistani civilian prisoners currently in India, after due processes of law.

In order to encourage Pakistanis into India, Mr Vajpayee had instructed the Ministry of Commerce to reduce or eliminate tariff on 50 tariff lines, the spokeswoman said, adding that these lines, meaning enlarging basket of imports from the western neighbour, will be identified and instructions to this effect issued before August 15, 2001.

Desirous of permanent resolution of the problems of Indian and Pakistani fishermen who from time to time are taken into custody, the Prime Minister had instructed that the Coast Guard would not in future take Pakistani fishermen, who inadvertently transgress into our waters, in custody, Mrs Rao said, adding that henceforth they would be turned back after due warning.

In order to enhance people-to-people ties, especially among the youth of India and Pakistan, Mr Vajpayee has decided to institute 20 scholarship to students from Pakistan in Indian technical institutions.

Pakistani poets, academics, writers and artists would be invited individually or in groups for a month-long visit each as guests of the Government of India, the spokeswoman said.

Groups of Pakistani students (from school to university), would be invited by the government to visit and tour Indian academic establishments, Mrs Rao pointed out.

At the moment, there are about 196 Pakistani fishermen in Indian custody and at least 202 Indian fishermen are in Pakistani jails.

There are more than 1,000 civilian prisoners from India in Pakistani jails of which there are 620 civilians who have been allowed consular access by the Pakistani authorities and rest are those who have not been given consular access.

At least 229 civilian prisoners from Pakistan are in Indian jails.

Brushing aside reservations from the conservative lobby in the Ministry of External Affairs, the Prime Minister took the initiative after careful deliberations with his advisers and officials, sources said.

Announcement of reducing or elimination of tariff on 50 tariff lines has been made to give a decisive boost to Indo-Pak trade which stood at Rs 702.09 crore in 1999-2000.

Pak frees Indian cyclist

Islamabad, July 4
The globetrotting Indian cyclist, Vikas Singh, serving a three-year sentence in a Peshawar jail for entering Pakistan without a visa, was freed today as a goodwill gesture ahead of the summit between President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

The Pakistan Government’s decision to release Vikas, who was jailed for entering the country from Afghanistan side without a visa in May, has been confirmed by Defence spokesman Gen Rashid Quereshi.

An official announcement later said arrangements were being made to transfer Vikas to Lahore from where he would be taken to the Wagha border for onward transfer to India. This meant that he would be directly handed over to Indian officials at the Wagha border as he was a prisoner.

The release, in response to an Indian request, had been ordered as a gesture of goodwill ahead of the upcoming summit. PTI