Indian team to have interactive sessions

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, JAN. 12. The air is thick with the expectation of a possible thaw in Indo-Pak. relations as a high-level Indian delegation arrived here tonight.

Though the team is essentially here as part of the Track-II diplomacy on nuclear issues, the visit has acquired a new meaning in view of the recent initiatives by India and Pakistan in what is seen as an attempt to resolve differences and resume the stalled dialogue after a gap of nearly two years.

The team members are Lt. Gen. (retd) V.R. Raghavan, former Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan, Mr. K.S. Bajpai, Air Chief Marshal (retd) S.K. Mehra, Rear Admiral (retd) Raja Menon, former Foreign Secretary and Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan, Mr. J.N. Dixit and Prof. Matin Zuberi.

The first engagement of the delegation in the course of its four- day stay here on Saturday is an interactive session with the Foreign office. Initially the team was to interact with the Pakistan Foreign Secretary, Mr. Inamul Haq, but due to his pre- occupation, they would interact with Mr. Riaz Muhammad Khan, Additional Secretary in the Foreign Office. The delegation would have an opportunity to exchange views with the Pakistan Foreign Minister, Mr. Abdul Sattar, later in the afternoon as he is hosting a lunch in their honour.

The Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) which is hosting the six-member delegation has arranged a number of meetings in some of the leading research institutes on matters of mutual concern to India and Pakistan.

On January 13 Mr. Dikshit is to present a paper on the ``Indian perspective on Afghanistan'' at the Quaid-e-Azam University. The following day the delegation would have an intense day-long session on nuclear related issues at the IPRI along with some of the leading foreign policy experts of Pakistan.

Admiral (retd) Raja Menon is presenting a paper on ``nuclear risks in adversarial environment.'' Air Chief Marshal (retd) S.K. Mehra would read a paper on ``Indo-Pak nuclear dilemmas and risk reduction measures.'' Mr. Dixit is making a presentation on `politico military context of confidence building measures' and Prof. Zuberi would read a paper on `use and non-use of nuclear weapons'.

From the Pakistan side a former Foreign Secretary, Dr. Tanvir Ahmad Khan, would make a presentation on ``nuclear risks as visualised by Pakistan, including measures that can reduce or eliminate the risk and an analysis of strategic warning time.'' Another former Foreign Secretary, Mr. Najmuddin Sheikh, would speak on ``India-Pakistan cooperation on the proliferation at international levels.'' A noted Pakistani scholar, Dr. Riffar Hussain, would make a presentation on ``the usage of nuclear weapons including implications of no first use-first use.''

On January 15, Mr. K.S. Bajpayee is presenting a paper on ``state making-Indian experience'' at the Pakistan Foreign Service Academy. On the same day Gen. Raghavan will present a paper on ``international terrorism'' at the Institute of Strategic Studies (ISS). In the evening they will participate in a seminar on ``nuclear restraint and risk reduction in South Asia.'' Two former Foreign Secretaries of Pakistan, Dr. Tanvir Ahmad Khan and Mr. Nazmuddin Sheikh, along with Dr. Riffat Hussain would present papers on behalf of Pakistan and Admiral (retd) Raja Menon, Air Marshal (retd) S.K. Mehra and Prof. Mateen Zuberi would present papers on behalf of India.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : International
Previous : Talks encouraging, says Colombo
Next     : India, Russia to step up space cooperation