Benazir for peace between India, Pak.

By C. Raja Mohan

NEW DELHI, NOV. 25. Gingerly tip-toeing across the political minefield of Indo-Pakistan relations, the visiting former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Ms. Benazir Bhutto, today suggested that a democratic Pakistan might be better placed to talk peace with India, and emphasised the importance of an early restoration of civilian rule in Pakistan.

In her wide-ranging consultations with the top layer of the Indian leadership, Ms. Bhutto welcomed India's recent peace initiatives towards Pakistan and hoped the military Government in Islamabad would respond positively.

Ms. Bhutto, who arrived here from her political exile in Dubai, called on the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, this evening. In what was described as a ``courtesy call,'' she emphasised her strong desire for peace between India and Pakistan. Her talks with Mr. Vajpayee were described as ``cordial'' and lasted about 40 minutes.

Coming out of the meeting with Mr. Vajpayee, Ms. Bhutto pointed to the many ``missed opportunities in the past'' for the normalisation of Indo-Pak. relations. She was not blaming just the Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, but also the previous leaders of Pakistan, including herself, ``for not seizing the opportunities for peace with India.''

Earlier in the day, she had extensive talks with the Union Home Minister Mr. L. K. Advani, and the Leader of the Opposition, Ms. Sonia Gandhi. The Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Mr. Brajesh Mishra, also called on Ms. Bhutto.

The politically sensitive sojourn by the former Pakistan Premier had been under consideration for nearly a year but had to be deferred due to sensitivities on both sides. New Delhi had to consider how its serenading of Ms. Bhutto would be read in Islamabad.

While engaging the leading political opponent of Gen.

Musharraf, the Government today kept the official interaction with Ms. Bhutto at a low profile. In his talks with her, Mr. Advani reiterated the Indian commitment to improve relations with Pakistan and the disappointment at Gen. Musharraf's negative attitude.

Ms. Bhutto too had to weigh the risks of travelling to India before she returned to Pakistan. She is naturally conscious of the need to walk the fine political line on sensitive issues relating to the dispute over Jammu and Kashmir, Indo-Pak. relations, and her opposition to military rule in Pakistan.

While stressing that Kashmir is a ``major issue,'' Ms. Bhutto took the high ground to emphasise the importance of peace between

India and Pakistan. As she seeks to end the military rule in Pakistan, Ms. Bhutto is positioning herself as a genuine peacemaker in the eyes of the international community as well as the people of India and Pakistan.

Even as she welcomed the prospect of talks between Mr. Vajpayee and Gen. Musharraf at the SAARC summit in Kathmandu in early January, Ms. Bhutto was apparently not trying to hide her belief that she is a more credible Pakistani interlocutor for India.

Her visit to India comes amid a challenge to Ms. Bhutto who ruled Pakistan during 1988-90 and 1993-96. As Gen. Musharraf consolidates his position after the September 11 terrorist attacks in the U.S., she is trying to claw her way back into Pakistani politics.

Ms. Bhutto needs all the international political support she can get in preventing Gen. Musharraf from blocking her participation in the elections, scheduled for late next year. Her visit to Delhi could be seen as a step in that political campaign. She would obviously be quite happy to gain New Delhi's support in getting the international community to impress upon Gen. Musharraf the need for an early and credible restoration of democracy in Pakistan.

Ms. Bhutto hopes her talks here will set a precedent for greater people-to-people contact between the two countries at a time when bilateral ties are at a low ebb.

There was a special personal tone in the meeting between Ms. Bhutto and Ms. Gandhi. Ms. Bhutto recalled her association with Mr. Rajiv Gandhi and the peace talks between her father, Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, and Mrs. Indira Gandhi at Simla in 1972. Ms. Gandhi and Ms. Bhutto agreed that the Shimla Agreement ``must form the bedrock of Indo-Pak. relations.''

Ms. Bhutto will speak here tomorrow on women's empowerment and address a press conference. On Tuesday, she travels to the shrine of Kwaja Moinuddin Chisti in Ajmer, Rajasthan, and flies back to Dubai on Thursday.

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