ISLAMABAD, 5 October 2005 — Pakistan and India vowed yesterday to make “sincere” efforts to find a peaceful solution to the dispute over Kashmir, sources said.
A joint statement issued after two days of talks between visiting Indian Minister of External Affairs Natwar Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri said both countries were committed to their nearly two-year-old peace process.
“The ministers reiterated that possible options for a peaceful, negotiated settlement of the issue of Jammu and Kashmir should be explored in a sincere, purposeful and forward looking manner,” the statement said.
Natwar arrived in Pakistan on Sunday for talks on the tentative peace process.
The ministers said yesterday they would try to reach agreement on a disputed Himalayan glacier before January but announced no major progress on their core difference over Kashmir. But the commitment to reach an agreement on the Siachen glacier appeared to be the most significant progress to emerge from Natwar’s talks with Kasuri.
“The two sides exchanged ideas on the Siachen issue and agreed to continue their discussions so as to arrive at a common understanding before commencement of the next round of composite dialogue in January,” the statement said.
“There is some progress but I cannot say they are very close” to signing an accord, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Naeem Khan said. “There are ideas that have been exchanged and there is some progress.” Indian newspapers reported a pact was near on withdrawing soldiers from the 6,300-meter glacier.
The Hindustan Times said the deal was done and the wording was being worked out, while the Indian Express said talks went on into the night to thrash out the differences on Siachen and Sir Creek.
The Pakistani press was more circumspect, with local dailies Dawn and The News saying the two countries may set out a road map for Siachen and Sir Creek and the Daily Times saying there was no permanent agreement.
The two nations held a meeting of a joint economic body for the first time in 16 years, marking a further thaw between the South Asian rivals.
Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Sarnasaid the commission would discuss steps to promote trade ties between the neighbors.
Natwar also met President Pervez Musharraf before the joint commission meeting. He raised the case of an Indian man facing death in Pakistan for spying and carrying out a series of bomb attacks, and urged Musharraf that the case be dealt with “from a humanitarian point of view”, Sarna said. “The president said he will take note of the external affairs minister’s remarks when the matter was put up to him,” Sarna said.
Natwar also met Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. Details of the meeting were not immediately available.
