Great expectations over Agra summit

By Our Staff Correspondent

BHOPAL, JULY 15. It was a Sunday with a difference for people here as most of them chose to remain glued to their television sets to watch live coverage of developments linked with the first phase of the crucial Vajpayee- Musharraf summit at Agra today.

The common man's expectations of an outcome of the Agra summit are too high. Several intellectuals are optimistic and say they are looking forward to a joint declaration at the end of the summit.

When contacted, some senior citizens said both the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the Pakistan President, General Pervez Musharraf, have a lot at stake and the summit would at least break the ice for more meaningful dialogues to address vexed issues, including Kashmir, in an atmosphere of goodwill and peace in future.

A retired civil servant said the success of the summit will depend not on the two leaders' willingness to dilute or compromise during their very first meeting, but on the long standing and firm positions adopted by the two countries. He appreciated President Musharraf's assertion yesterday that ``there can be no military solution to Kashmir'' but at the same time aired the general view that the General should give a clear signal that his country would have no truck with militants and terrorists.

The MPCC General Secretary, Mr. Manak Agrawal, said ``every one wants the Summit to succeed.'' The Agra Summit can be treated as a precursor to a series of constructive meetings between leaders of India and Pakistan to resolve their bilateral issues, he said while emphasising that any progress on the Kashmir issue will have to be lapped up with a firm assurance from the Pakistan side that they would not support those involved in cross-border terrorism.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former MP Mr. Kailash Sarang, also expressed similar sentiments and said President Musharraf should give full commitment that his Government will immediately stop extending support to the militants in Kashmir. The Pakistani leadership should recognise the fact that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India, he added.

Professor Zamiruddin, a senior academician, told ``The Hindu'' that the initial dialogue between leaders of the two countries is significant and hoped that the follow-up meetings would help find a permanent solution to the problems confronting India and Pakistan.

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