Kashmir issue cannot be solved overnight: Musharraf

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, JULY 1. With two weeks to go for the summit meet between the Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, and the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, the broad contours of the agenda for their interaction has begun to emerge.

It is now clear that while Kashmir shall be the focus of the dialogue, there are enough indications of reasonably good progress on other subjects as well. According to diplomatic sources, Pakistan is reconciled to the fact that the issue of Kashmir cannot be clinched at the Agra summit and it may settle for a mechanism to address the conflict.

The statement made by Gen. Musharraf at the meeting of religious scholars on Friday that he would be join Mr. Vajpayee at the summit with an open mind and a ``clear commitment to discuss the initiation of a process that would lead to the resolution'' of the Kashmir conflict is a reflection of the thinking here.

Gen. Musharraf has been harping on the theme in his pre-summit interactive session with a cross-section of the society, that he does not expect resolution of the Kashmir dispute overnight.

Pakistan has also noted reports from New Delhi in a section of a press, attributed to highly placed sources, that the Agra summit would set in motion some kind of mechanism or process to pursue the dialogue on all outstanding issues.

It is presumed here in diplomatic circles that these reports in a section of the press are on the basis of interaction either with the Prime Minister himself or his Principal Secretary and the National Security Advisor, Mr. Brijesh Mishra. Hence, the importance attached to the reports. They are seen as signals on the approach of New Delhi to the summit.

The impressions emerging from India tally with the assessment of the military establishment here. In other words, there is already certain commonality in the perception on the approach to the Summit.

The Pakistan Foreign Secretary, Mr. Inamul Haq, while talking to a group of Pakistani editors a few days ago, had said that Pakistan did not expect a breakthrough on the Kashmir question in one summit meeting. He had said Pakistan would be willing to move towards normalisation of ties with India if the latter was prepared to concede the centrality of Kashmir as the core problem of tensions between the two countries. The Foreign Secretary had hinted about the possibility of evolution of a mechanism for the purpose.

What could be that mechanism? There is, at the moment, a joint working group on Kashmir headed by the two Foreign Secretaries. One possibility is that the group could be elevated to the level of Foreign Ministers.

Once there is agreement on the approach to the Kashmir issue, both sides could move on for resolution of less contentious issues. And there is no dearth of these subjects. They include confidence-building measures for security, trade, visa regime and cultural exchanges.

It is still not decided on whether there would be a joint statement or declaration at the end of the summit deliberations. Both sides are still keeping it open. ``Much would depend on the progress of talks between the two at the highest level,'' is the standard response to any question on whether there would be any declaration or a joint press conference on July 16.

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