NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD, 20 May 2008 — India and Pakistan yesterday expressed optimism about further normalizing their relations ahead of high-level talks between the two sides, the first since a democratic government was elected in Pakistan on Feb.18.
Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee will hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi tomorrow in Islamabad. The agenda for the talks would be set today during a meeting between Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and his Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir.
The two sides will review progress in talks held between the neighbors until now, Indian sources said. They will focus on “terrorism, levels of infiltration into India” and “ways to build on peace process,” which has been devoid of high-level contacts for more than a year. These talks would be the first high-level contact between the two sides since Mukherjee’s visit to Pakistan in February 2007.
Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Sadiq said Pakistan had shown its commitment to peace between the neighbors. “We are committed to the peace process and seek peaceful resolution of all issues including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.”
The talks will cover eight topics: peace and security, Jammu and Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek, Wullar Barrage, terrorism and drug trafficking, economic and commercial cooperation and promotion of friendly exchanges.
Sadiq said Pakistan wanted friendly and good neighborly relations with India, and a stable and prosperous South Asia region. Pakistan, he said, has indicated that there has been progress in confidence building measures with India. He said there has been clear and visible progress in these talks.
In New Delhi an Indian official said: “At the talks, we will see what exactly the new government has in mind.”
Expressing India’s keenness to push forward the peace process, Menon said in New Delhi: “The dialogue process has contributed so meaningfully to the improvement of relations over the last four years. India is ready to carry the process forward.”
Giving emphasis to India’s willingness to discuss all issues with Pakistan, Menon said that an atmosphere of peace is essential for the success of the dialogue process. India is likely to propose an increase in the frequency of the fortnightly Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalakot bus services, making them weekly, official sources said.
The Indian side is also expected to press for the launch of Kargil-Skardu and Jammu-Sialkot bus services as part of additional initiatives to increase contacts between people on two sides of the Line of Control (LoC), sources said. The two sides are expected to discuss starting truck services on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad route, they said.
The two sides will also finalize the date for the visit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Pakistan besides fixing dates for the fifth round of talks.
The Indian Army said yesterday it lost one soldier in a shooting from the Pakistani side of Kashmir along the heavily guarded frontier. An Indian Army post along the cease-fire line dividing Kashmir between longtime rivals came under grenade, rocket and small arms fire attack from Pakistani territory, said Lt. Col. Shantanu Dass Goswami, an army spokesman. The army was investigating whether Pakistani soldiers fired on the Indian post or some insurgents killed the Indian soldier while trying to sneak into the Indian side of Kashmir from Pakistan territory, Lt. Col. Anil Kumar Mathur, the army spokesman in New Delhi, said.
Pakistan military spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas called the allegation “baseless.” “No firing from this side of any kind has taken place,” Abbas said, adding that military officials would pursue a meeting with their Indian counterparts to clarify the matter.
