ISLAMABAD, 22 May 2008 — Pakistan and India signed a pact yesterday granting consular access to prisoners in each other’s jails after talks between visiting Indian Minister for External Affairs Parnab Mukherjee and Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmud Qureshi. The two sides, however, reported no significant progress in negotiations on the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.
Foreign ministers of the neighbors yesterday held their first round of peace talks since a new civilian government took power in Pakistan seven weeks ago.
Mukherjee said that in his discussions with Pakistani leaders in Islamabad he “found a strong willingness and desire on the Pakistan side to move ahead toward full normalization of our relationship.” At the same news conference, Qureshi said it was in the “common interest” of both countries to continue the dialogue initiated in early 2004. He said it had benefited people on both sides.
But Qureshi said despite positive developments — including growing bilateral trade now worth $2 billion annually — “we have not made significant progress on our core issues.” He specifically referred to their dispute over Kashmir — the divided Himalayan enclave that is claimed in its entirety by both countries and over which they have fought two of their three wars since winning independence 60 years ago.
In a sign of how tensions have eased between longtime enemies, the sides signed an agreement granting consular access to prisoners in each other’s jails.
Qureshi said that a fresh round of the peace talks — covering issues including Kashmir, the military standoff at the high-altitude Siachen Glacier, terrorism and drug trafficking, and economic cooperation — would start in July.
Mukherjee said Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had accepted an invitation to visit Pakistan. Qureshi said the visit would take place this year.
Mukherjee earlier yesterday met President Pervez Musharraf.
“We have held talks in a spirit of cooperation, trust and pragmatism,” the Indian foreign minister said in a statement.
“I found a strong willingness and desire to move ahead and work toward full realization of our relationship,” Mukherjee said.
“A stable, prosperous and peaceful Pakistan and India is in our mutual interest,” he said.
The two sides agreed to increase the frequency of Muzaffarabad-Srinagar and Rawalakot-Poonch bus service making it a weekly service. They also agreed to finalize modalities for intra-Kashmir trade and truck service at the earliest possible.
Qureshi said most of the Kashmir-related CBMs were appropriate and functional, however more would be worked out where necessary.
Qureshi termed the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline an excellent idea for the energy deficient South Asian region, adding Pakistan was sincere in its efforts for progress on the pipeline project. “IPI could play a vital role in economic progress of the two countries,” he added.
Qureshi is expected to visit India in June or July this year.
— With input from agencies
