'Make the summit Lahore Plus'

The proposed Vajpayee-Musharraf summit should be converted into a ``Lahore Plus'' exercise as it would finally get the Pakistani military on board and also ``help undo Kargil'', the BALUSA group, a Track-II initiative by leading opinion-makers from India and Pakistan, has said.

Some forward movement on Kashmir was also essential. For example, the two sides could agree on a formula under which cross-border incursions would be reduced in conjunction with a scaling down of the Indian troop levels in Kashmir.

BALUSA, however, cautioned against increased expectations about the summit, saying these could not realistically be met by the ``first such meeting between two individuals who had shared suspicions of each other''. It was important that ``the impression not be that there was a quick solution''.

Meeting on the margins of the conference held at Wilton Park, U.K., from May 30 to June 3, on ``The Reshaping of European Security Relations; 1980-2000 Confidence and Security Building measures and Conventional Arms Control'', BALUSA lauded ``the boldness and the leadership'' displayed by the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, in extending the invitation to General Pervez Musharraf. The Pakistani leader's offer to meet ``any time, any place'' was also appreciated as having created the right atmosphere. It saw the planned summit as an indication of the political will to normalise relations and suggested a series of steps by which the bilateral agenda could be advanced.

These were:

``Revival of working groups (or similar structures) in all areas as agreed to in 1998 with an institutional structure for some movement within a specified time-frame, e.g., six months. (Members of the group felt that without a time-table, there is less incentive for the two bureaucracies to move forward).

``Some forward movement on Kashmir, even if it is a statement that the two leaders are agreed on embarking on the ``long journey to find a solution''. It is important that the impression not be that there was a quick solution. However, it is important that there be some forward movement in order to demonstrate that the two sides had gone beyond Kargil. For example, both sides could find an agreed formula whereby cross- border incursions could be reduced in conjunction with a reduction in the number of deployed Indian troops in Kashmir. This way, each would achieve an important element for their respective domestic constituencies.

``The communique of the (summit) meeting should be carefully crafted to give the view that each side considered that there was no alternative to peace between the two countries. This would make the meeting a ``Lahore Plus'' as it would get the Pakistani military finally on board the Lahore process. Pakistan may not agree to simply restate all aspects of the Lahore meeting of February 1999 (given past criticism that the meeting had unnecessarily downplayed Kashmir) but a formulation allowing for the principles of that meeting (could be made) for approval by the current leadership on both sides may provide the opening.

``A statement by General Musharraf to the Indian people that Pakistan wanted to live in peace and friendship with India would go down well as had the visit of Mr. Vajpayee to the Minar-e- Pakistan during his Lahore journey in February 1999.

``Both sides must recognise the need to set up some rules of the game. For example, every event should not be touted as a ``victory'' going against the other side.

``The media preparation before the summit and subsequent to it needed to be carefully calibrated.

``Smaller agreements - visas, cricket, etc., - should accompany the summit results announcement. Others such as Siachen could be the first set of issues tackled with a view toward settlement.

``A statement that the two leaders recognise the energy needs of their respective countries and hope that future cooperation in the area was possible could be helpful in collaboration in the area that offered a great deal of possibility for future peace and cooperation in the subcontinent.''

The BALUSA group pledged to do whatever it could to convey these views to the respective sides using their individual channels.

Members who attended the meeting were:

Syed Babar Ali, Bharat Bhushan, General Mahmud Ali Durrani, Salman Haidar, General Farrakh Khan, Shaharyar Khan, General Satish Nambiar, Kuldip Nayar, Raja Mohan, Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Toufiq Siddiqi and Shirin Tahir-Kheli.

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