ISLAMABAD, 8 July — Pakistan yesterday said it had not received any proposals from New Delhi regarding high-level talks on security and nuclear issues. “These proposals have not yet been received by us from the Indian government,” a Foreign Office spokesman said in a statement here.
But Pakistani spokesman said that Islamabad would consider any such proposal sent officially by New Delhi.
“These proposals have not yet been received by us from the Indian government ... when these proposals are received officially we will give them due consideration in the context of discussion on future Pakistan-India dialogue at the forthcoming summit,” the statement said.
The proposals revealed by an External Affairs Ministry spokesperson in New Delhi on Friday include a visit by the head of India’s military operations for talks with his counterpart in Pakistan.
“We have read in the press about the Indian proposals for a visit of the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of the Indian Army to Pakistan and for meeting of experts of the two countries to discuss security concepts and nuclear-related confidence-building measures,” the spokesman said.
“According to established practice, such proposals should be made through official channels before being announced in the media. Nevertheless, when these proposals are received officially, we will give them due consideration in the context of discussions on future Pakistan-India dialogue at the forthcoming summit.”
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is to start a three-day visit to India on July 14 on Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s invitation to hold peace talks in the Taj Mahal town of Agra.
Indian spokeswoman Nirupama Rao said the proposed DGMO-level talks were aimed at further strengthening and stabilizing tranquillity on the heavily-militarized Siachen Glacier in Kashmir as well as on the Line of Control that divides the Himalayan sate between Pakistan and India. “India and Pakistan are committed to engage in bilateral consultations on security concepts and nuclear confidence-building measures,” Rao said.
“In order to give meaning to this commitment, the prime minister has instructed that an official dialogue at the experts’ level should be proposed immediately.” The trip would have more meaning if it was to materialize before Musharraf met Vajpayee, she said.
Meanwhile, top Pakistan Muslim League leaders Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, known as Chaudhrys of Gujrat, met Musharraf and extended full support to him on his India visit. “The meeting was alright,” Shujaat, the former interior minister, told reporters following the meeting.
“They also congratulated Gen. Musharraf on assumption of the office of the president,” said an official announcement on the meeting.
Mian Muhammad Azhar had three such meetings with Musharraf, besides attending the consultative meeting on president’s visit to India. A number of other PML leaders including Fakhar Imam, Raja Zafarul Haq, Wasim Sajjad, Elahi Buksh Soomro, Ejazul Haq had meetings with Musharraf in the past on different occasions.
