New Delhi, January 7
India found a marked change in Pakistan for turning round the prevailing cold bilateral environment even though Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had gone to Islamabad with the sole intent of only pursuing multilateral agenda of the SAARC grouping.
The window of opportunity presented itself when Pakistan refrained from raising either the K-word or indulging in the familiar machination of making the SAARC Summit hostage to contentious bilateral issues as evidenced in the past conclaves of the seven-member regional grouping.
At the deliberations at the inauguration of the Summit in Islamabad, after Pakistan Prime Minister Mir Zafrullah Khan Jamali assumed the chairmanship of the grouping and steered clear of raising bilateral issues, a request was made for a courtesy call on President Pervez Musharraf, according to official sources.
India has no doubt that intense preparation has to be made for working out the modalities for the resumption of the "composite dialogue" with Pakistan in February. New Delhi wants to be convinced that its concern of cross-border terrorism is dealt with effectively following Mr Vajpayee's fresh initiative of April 18 announced in Srinagar.
Considering India's stand that a dialogue with Pakistan can resume only if the neighbour stopped cross-border terrorism and dismantled the infrastructure in this regard coupled with General Musharraf's readiness to talk about the menace of terrorism that discussions took shape in Islamabad, the call on Mr Jamali immediately after the inauguration of the 12th SAARC Summit was part of the protocol connected with the regional grouping.
It was after this firm indication in unambiguous terms from Pakistan that External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha and Foreign Secretary Shashank sought separate appointments with their Pakistani counterparts-Mr Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri and Mr Riaz Khokhar, respectively.
"Only then there was some movement on the negotiations that the issue of terrorism cannot be divorced from the protracted violence in Jammu and Kashmir," sources emphasised. "Fresh instructions were only given thereafter to work on a document which was clinched after Mr Vajpayee spoke to General Musharraf on the telephone in Islamabad yesterday."
Sources said even as India had in its possession incontrovertible evidence of terrorist training camps in Pakistan, jihad can affect the neighbour's sovereignty. Even though the clergy feels let down with the joint statement, this is not the case with the powerful army establishment in that country.
India did not dwell on the extradition of the list of 20 seeking refuge in Pakistan or any specifics, though it maintains "there is need to move forward in a sustained manner to end cross-border terrorism. The question of those in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (POK) sitting in with us (in the talks) does not arise. The issue of cross-border terrorism has to be addressed."
The expression of desire by both India and Pakistan to return to the negotiating table with the stalled "composite dialogue requires preparations to take it forward."
Official sources drew pointed attention to US President George Bush and other world leaders speaking to General Musharraf on the need to contain and deal effectively with terrorism.
