The Hindu : The `India factor' casts its shadow

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 09, 2003

Opinion

Opinion - News Analysis

The `India factor' casts its shadow

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, FEB. 8. The `India factor' cast a heavy shadow on the just concluded three-day official visit of the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, to Russia. The first in three decades by any Pakistani President and the first by any Pakistan Chief of Army Staff, it could at best be described as an `exploratory' mission.

The visit was the culmination of a desire on the part of both sides to establish a relationship within the limitations. In its 55 years of existence Pakistan had never bothered to have an equation with Russia. After the end of the cold war era and the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the Taliban was a major stumbling block. The present initiative was the first serious attempt by Pakistan to reach out to Russia. To that extent it could be called a `path-breaking' visit.

How much New Delhi was weighing on the mind of Mr. Putin was evident from a two-para but very revealing press statement put out by his office about his telephone call to Mr. Vajpayee, a day before Gen. Musharraf's visit commenced.

It read, "as part of the maintenance of a continual confidential dialogue at the highest level, the leaders of the two countries (India and Russia) touched upon certain aspects of bilateral cooperation, and exchanged views with regard to the situation in South Asia. As reported earlier, a meeting is scheduled for February 5 between the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, and the Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. This telephone conversation (of Putin with Vajpayee) may be regarded as a "checking of the watches'' of the leaders of Russia and India on the eve of Russian-Pakistani talks.

Mr. Putin was not content with the pre-Musharraf summit call to Mr. Vajpayee. He followed it with another hello less than 24 hours after Gen. Musharraf had departed from Moscow. While Mr. Putin's office is yet to put out a press statement on what transpired in the 20= minute conversation with Mr. Vajpayee, media reports suggest that the Russian President appraised the Prime Minister not only about the talks but his counsel to Gen. Musharraf to end cross-border infiltration and `dismantle terrorism infrastructure'.

When Gen. Musharraf and Mr. Putin met one on one for the supposed ice=breaking, Mr. Putin remain unmoved on the complaints of Gen. Musharraf against India and its alleged intransigence to come to the dialogue table. Endorsing the Indian position, Mr. Putin said that he wished all success to Gen. Musharraf in implementation of pledges to tackle terrorist outfits and the menace of terrorism. "We wish Gen. Musharraf success in neutralising the activities in Pakistan of organisations militant extremists'' were the exact words of Mr. Putin.

Interestingly neither leader took any questions at the end of their joint press appearance.In pledging commitment for new relations with Pakistan, Mr. Putin made it a point to mention that it would be without detrimental to "relations with our traditional partners''. A clear reference to India once again.

The joint statement issued at the end of the visit more or less echoed the same line with a slight difference. Pakistan and Russia stressed the need for "continuous sincere efforts by the parties concerned of South Asia to create conditions for resuming the dialogue between Pakistan and India in order to resolve all outstanding issues between them on the basis of equity and justice''.

More important, it said talks should be on the basis of the Shimla Accord and Lahore Declaration.

Gen. Musharraf in the past had said both the accords do not address the issue of Kashmir adequately.

According to the joint statement, the two agreed that a comprehensive approach was needed to combat terrorism and "this should include firm measures against manifestations of ethnic and religious extremism, trafficking of illicit nuclear materials and drugs as well as trans-national organized crime.''

Such measures, the statement continued, should also be directed against those states, organisations and individuals who indulge in terrorism or support, finance and encourage terrorism or offer them shelter or refuge.

It declared their interest in establishing constructive interaction in fighting international terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

The establishment of a Pakistan-Russia Joint Working Group on Counter-terrorism and Other Challenges to International Security, whose first meeting was held in Moscow in December 2002, was noted with satisfaction.

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