News
Pak-India composite dialogue to resume on Jan 17
ISLAMABAD, Dec 22 : The foreign secretaries of Pakistan and India will meet in New Delhi on January 17-18 to initiate the third round of the composite dialogue between the two countries.
Foreign Secretary Riaz Muhammad Khan will head Pakistan’s delegation and hold two-day talks with Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran.
While it is too early to speculate about the members of Pakistan’s delegation, Director-General South Asia Syed Ibne Abbas is expected to accompany Khan. Abbas deserves full praise for his negotiation skills and was behind the success of the last round of Indo-Pak talks in Islamabad, leading to the opening of five points at the Line of Control, media report said.
No official announcement about the third round of the composite dialogue has been made yet in Islamabad or New Delhi, but diplomatic sources said, "Pakistan suggested these dates to India and they have accepted [the suggestion]."
An official in Islamabad said Pakistan was looking forward to these talks. "We have had two rounds so far and established good atmosphere. Now we need to move forward and address the issues, which are a cause for concern. Jammu and Kashmir is the core issue and, unless this is resolved, nothing substantive can be achieved."
The two foreign secretaries would be deliberating on Kashmir and peace and security. Of interest will be talks on demilitarization and self-governance in Kashmir, which both the governments have been discussing for quite some time.
"The self-governance issue has been discussed at the highest level on several occasions. These talks will provide an opportunity for engagement on these issues," one official said. The two sides will review the last two rounds of the composite dialogue that failed to achieve any remarkable progress as they moved at a snail’s pace. Some success came in the wake of the October 8 earthquake when, under the eyes of world capitals, both sides decided to provide relief to the people of Kashmir by allowing them to cross the Line of Control at five points.
The two foreign secretaries will also announce schedule for nearly seven items contained in the composite dialogue so that these meetings can be held before the two foreign ministers meet most probably by August 2006.
Some of the subjects to be included in the schedule are Siachen Glacier, Sir Creek, commercial ties, people-to-people contact, terrorism, drug trafficking, Tur Bul and confidence-building measures on nuclear and conventional weapons.
Proposals on Kashmir and peace and security will be also exchanged. Pakistan’s proposal in the last round on upgrading the issue of Kashmir to a political level did not see any progress. It would be pertinent to note that President Musharraf, addressing the OIC Makkah summit, made a call to the freedom fighters in Kashmir to give talks a chance.
In Indian held Kashmir, different political leaders, including those belonging to the APHC and those from outside, have met publicly and indicated some commonalties in trying to solve the Kashmir issue.