The Hindu : We will respond in concrete form, says Islamabad

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 03, 2003

Front Page

Front Page

We will respond in concrete form, says Islamabad

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD MAY 2. Responding to the announcement of the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, on the desire of India to re-establish full diplomatic ties with Pakistan, Islamabad today said it would `reappoint' a High Commissioner in its New Delhi mission. It also proclaimed that Prime Minister, Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali would "respond in a concrete form" to the offer of Mr. Vajpayee.

The Pakistan Foreign Minister, Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, made a brief statement to the media welcoming Mr. Vajpayee's statement in Parliament. His statement followed consultations between him and Mr. Jamali. Separately Mr. Jamali called on the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, and reviewed the peace initiative.

It appears that Pakistan wants to match the Indian offer. Hence the decision to let Mr. Jamali to respond to the offer of friendship and talks made by Mr. Vajpayee. The Foreign Minister gave hints that Islamabad's response would consist of some confidence-building measures (CBMs).

At this juncture it is not clear if the CBMs would seek to address the main concerns of India — end to cross-border terrorism and dismantling of the terrorism infrastructure. Mr. Kasuri, on his part, once again repeated the offer of readiness of Pakistan for a neutral mechanism to verify charges of infiltration.

`Bottom to top' talks

Another important indication by Mr. Kasuri was that the future talks between India and Pakistan would be from bottom to top. "I believe first it would be at the level of officials. Then it would proceed to the level of Foreign Ministers and culminate in a Summit at a later date''. The Minister emphasised that nothing would be achieved by hurrying matters and solid groundwork was needed before contentious issues were taken up at the highest level. Perhaps this is based on the experience at the Summit in Agra in July 2001.

Mr. Kasuri termed the Indian overtures as "better late than never" and said that "Pakistan is ready to start the dialogue process so as to hold meaningful discussions on all outstanding issues between the two countries including that of Jammu and Kashmir."

"We are pleased that measures previously taken by India unilaterally which had affected our relations, are being withdrawn by the Government of India.'' Mr. Kasuri said Pakistan has always called for maintaining ties at the level of the High Commissioners and has been supportive of people-to-people contacts and resumption of various links and exchanges.

He said even at the time when India had recalled its High Commissioner from Islamabad, Pakistan did not ask Ashraf Jehangir Qazi to return.

"It has always been our policy that we must have High Commissioner-level of relations. We have always called for holding of a composite dialogue between the two countries for purposes of peaceful resolution of all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir," Mr. Kasuri said.

The Minister said Pakistan also welcomed Prime Minister Vajpayee's statement of April 18.

"It was Prime Minister Jamali who picked up the phone and spoke to Mr. Vajpayee and invited him to visit Pakistan," he added. He said Mr. Jamali took the initiative to end the 18-month-old impasse and bring things back to normality.

Mr. Kasuri dispelled the impression that the two countries were under some external pressure to resume talks.

He said there were friends who would like us to resume normal relations. He said it would be unfair to term it "outside pressure".

About senior State Department official, Richard Armitage's forthcoming visit to the subcontinent, he said, many friendly countries had been urging the two countries to start talks. "The momentum has to come from within India and Pakistan. Ultimately we have to talk to each other."

He referred to statements by the French Foreign Minister and Bill Clinton and many others who had referred to Kashmir as a very dangerous spot and have been urging India and Pakistan to hold a dialogue to settle all outstanding issues.

Responding to a question he said that the credit for a move towards resumption of normal relations goes to President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Vajpayee. During the Agra summit, the declaration was ready to be signed. Since then other things have happened.

There was a coercive display with the armies of the two countries standing eyeball-to-eyeball.

However he termed it a "success of Pakistan's foreign policy that it did not respond to the aggressive policy of the other (side)."

He said the beginning of the talk-process would enable the two countries to focus on economic and social development of its people.

The Foreign Minister recalled his first statement soon after he took over, where he referred to the importance attached to the normalisation of relations between India and Pakistan and expressed satisfaction that this process appeared to be beginning now.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

Stories in this Section

India to appoint High Commissioner, restore air links to Pakistan

What the world's leaders say

We will respond in concrete form, says Islamabad

Sonia falls back on old guard

No written undertaking, no flying duties: AI

President appoints six new Governors

ASI given more time for Ayodhya excavation

Mukherjee seeks bail

Charges framed against Salman