M A I N   N E W S

On-the-spot visa for journalists
Ashwani Kumar returns with good news from Pakistan
Pawan Kumar

Wagah, May 21
In a development of great significance, Pakistan has agreed in principle to provide on-the-spot visa at border only to Indian scribes interested in touring Pakistan.

The Congress MP in the Rajya Sabha, Mr Ashwani Kumar, made this announcement on his return from Pakistan after attending the two-day South Asian Parliamentary meet organised by the South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA).

He said the demand for an easy visa for journalists was raised by many participants and he too had raised it to which General Musharraf readily agreed.

He termed his meetings with General Pervez Musharraf and other prominent leaders of Pakistan as successful and satisfying.

Dr Ashwani Kumar said the Pakistani people, leaders of major political parties and media resolved not to miss the opportunity offered by the present thaw in the bilateral relations.

He said the most memorable moment of the meet was when President Musharraf said he shared a very good rapport with Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and was eager to resolve ticklish issues, including Kashmir, during their tenure and before 2007.

Divulging the details of the meet, Mr Kumar said the thrust of the meet was on developing a joint Parliament of South Asian countries, on the lines of European Parliament, where all the SAARC countries could have common views on the majority of issues. But no time frame had been decided upon for the same, he added.

He said all the Parliamentarians of SAARC countries, except Nepal and Bhutan, participated in the meet.

Mr Kumar, who was elected as the Co-Chairman of the SAFMA, said he made several proposals to General Musharraf, including opening of the land route between Sialkot and Jammu.

Dr Ashwani Kumar said they also discussed developing a South Asia Common Economic Market by the year 2025 which, if formed, would be the second largest economic market in the world.

He also met Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Chief Minister, West Punjab, Choudhry Parvez Elahi, President of Pakistan Muslim League Sujat Hussain besides the leader of Opposition and various political parties.

He said Mr Elahi informed him that they were going to form Nankana Sahib as a district, named as Nankana Nagar while the work on the two-way highway to Nankana Sahib would be completed in one year. Mr Kumar said the next SAFMA meeting would be held in September this year in India.