M A I N   N E W S

Indo-Pak CBMs for starting truck service for trade
V. Mohan Narayan

Islamabad, September 2
Setting the stage for the meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Pervez Musharraf in New York on September 14, India and Pakistan today announced a slew of measures to promote people-to-people contacts, including starting a truck service for trade on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad route.

The two countries also outlined the roadmap for the third round of the Composite Dialogue process to be launched in January next year in New Delhi with a meeting of their Foreign Secretaries.

Addressing a press conference at the end of his two-day talks with his Pakistani counterpart Riaz Mohammad Khan here, Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran said that during his “courtesy call” on President Pervez Musharraf at the Army House in Rawalpindi, he had conveyed to him that Prime Minister Singh “greatly looks forward” to his New York meeting.

“I return confident that the Composite Dialogue is proceeding in a satisfactory manner and has proved to be a useful instrument in bridging differences between the two countries,” he said.

A four-page joint statement said it was agreed that the Foreign Secretaries would meet in January next year to launch next round of Composite Dialogue when they would carry forward the discussions on Jammu and Kashmir and Peace
and Security.

Dilaogue on the other six subjects covering Siachen, Wullar Barrage/ Tulbul Navigation Project, Sir Creek, Terrorism and Drug Trafficking, Economic and Commercial Cooperation and Promotion of Friendly Exchanges in Various Fields would be held between January and July, 2006.

The two sides welcomed the continuation of the ceasefire and commended the finalisation of the agreement on pre-notification of ballistic missiles tests which has been recommended for signing during the meeting of External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid M Kasuri here on October 3-4.

During the External Affairs Minister’s visit, a memorandum of understanding would also be signed for establishing communication links between the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency and the Indian Coast Guards, the joint statement said.

It was decided that technical-level meetings would be held as soon as possible on the early operationalisation of the Poonch-Rawalkot bus service and a truck service for trade on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad route for which there had been strong demands.

They agreed to hold further discussions on establishing meeting points across the LoC for divided families.

Technical-level meetings would be held this month to review the bilateral Air Services agreement and the Shipping Protocol, Saran said.

It was also decided that technical experts would finalise the modalities for operationalisation of the Lahore-Amritsar and Nankana Sahib-Amritsar bus services later this month.

On his talks with the Pakistan President, Saran said he had recalled the forward-looking and constructive dialogue President Musharraf and PM Singh had in New Delhi in April this year and “How much the Prime Minister is looking forward to renewing his association with the President Musharraf in New York.”

It would also give them the opportunity to carry forward the “very productive dialogue” between the two sides, he said.

Reciprocating the sentiments, Musharraf told Saran that he too was looking forward to the opportunity to exchange views with Prime Minister Singh on various issues on the bilateral agenda that included J and K.

Asked about the Prime Minister’s recent remarks that attempts by Pakistan to combat violence and cross-border terrorism were “half-hearted”, Saran said he had during talks with Musharraf welcomed the recent assurances articulated by the Pakistan President that various measures were being taken to fight the phenomenon of terrorism. It was conveyed that terrorism and extremism posed danger for Pakistan itself.

Saran said India hoped that “these commitments are, infact, implemented”.

“I, of course, drew attention to the fact that on the ground, infiltration and violence still continues and it is our hope that this would subside,” he said, while recalling that both Musharraf and Singh had agreed that terrorism must be confronted and not allowed to impede the peace process between the two countries.

To a question that Pakistan felt that progress on the Kashmir issue had not been satisfactory, Saran did not share this assessment. “We are making progress on all different components of the Composite Dialogue including J and K and Peace and Security.

“We, perhaps, may not, at this point of time, know the final shape of what the settlement between the two countries would be. In order to get to the destination we both wish to reach, it is important that we create an environment in which we can ensure the support of the people of India and the people of Pakistan,” Saran said.

Saran said, “While we may not be able to do much in terms of changing the lines which are drawn on the map, it is important to adopt a people-centric approach” and encourage cross-border trade and people-to-people contacts.

“Because this is the manner in which you can create a virtuous circle of greater understanding between the peoples and greater interaction built upon natural affinities which exist and this will contribute to reaching the goal we both wish to achieve.” — PTI