'Normalisation linked to cross-border terrorism'

By Nirupama Subramanian

COLOMBO, AUG. 10: While maintaining its commitment to the continuation of the dialogue initiated at the Agra summit, India today put across a tough message to Pakistan at the meeting of the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries here that the engagement would not be on its terms.

Contrary to the impression in the run-up to the Agra summit that India was willing to concede the ``centrality'' of Kashmir in bilateral talks by giving it the primary position in the eight- point composite dialogue process, a strongly-worded statement following today's meeting rejected Kashmir as the ``core'' or ``central'' issue. Instead, the statement linked ``normalisation'' of relations to the stoppage of ``cross-border terrorism''.

It said the Indian Foreign Secretary, Ms. Chokila Iyer, conveyed to her Pakistan counterpart, Mr. Inamul Haq, that the recent incidents of civilian killings in Jammu and Kashmir, had created ``extremely negative sentiments'' at the public and political level. ``Ultimately, it would be for Pakistan to choose the kind of relationship it would like to have with India,'' the statement declared.

Disappointing, says Haq

Reacting to the Indian statement, Mr. Haq told an international news agency that it was ``disappointing'', particularly as both sides had ``agreed not to air their grievances''. However, before the Indian statement was made public, both Ms. Iyer and Mr. Haq told journalists, as they emerged from the 75-minute meeting, that the exchange was ``useful'' and ``positive''. ``The importance of continuing the process from Agra has been noted by both the sides,'' Ms. Iyer said. The Indian Foreign Secretary also conveyed the acceptance of the invitations to the Prime Minister and the Minister of External Affairs to visit Pakistan.

Mr. Haq said Pakistan was ``keenly looking forward'' to the visits, the dates for which would be decided through mutual consultation. Ms. Iyer said the two discussed the confidence building measures announced by India before the Agra summit. India also raised the issue of the 54 PoWs from 1971, believed to be still held by Pakistan. Both she and Mr. Haq said the two sides had agreed to discuss the ``impediments'' in the bilateral relationship through further exchanges.

But the statement put out by India, which closely mirrored that of the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, in the Lok Sabha earlier this week, minced no words in articulating what New Delhi considers to be the chief obstacles.

Distributed minutes after the meeting ended, it said Ms. Iyer had asserted that the insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir ``with its foreign mercenaries and generous assistance from abroad'' could not be anything but ``cross-border terrorism''.

It was evident from the statement that India virtually erased the Agra discussions at today's meeting, emphasising instead that it would be ``necessary to observe and implement the provisions of the Shimla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration'' for the improvement of relations between the two countries. The statement revealed for the first time that India had sought to incorporate in a joint document in Agra the structure of a future dialogue process on all issues, including meetings at the official, ministerial and summit levels.

``We also made proposals for addressing the issue of peace and security, including nuclear and conventional confidence building measures, Jammu and Kashmir, terrorism, and all other issues from the composite dialogue,'' it stated. Ms. Iyer had conveyed to Mr. Haq that the document had to be ``abandoned'' because of Pakistan's ``unacceptable and untenable fixation'' on Kashmir, a reluctance to address cross-border terrorism, and a ``negative approach'' towards the Shimla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration.

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