The Hindu : "Pak. needs to take firm, credible steps"

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 08, 2003

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"Pak. needs to take firm, credible steps"

By Amit Baruah

NEW DELHI May 7. In a measured official response to the proposals made by Pakistan last night, India today announced that it had sought an agreement (Agre'ment in diplomatic parlance) for the appointment of a new High Commissioner to Islamabad. The response, contained in a statement read out by the Foreign Office spokesman, was more in tune with the overall objective of keeping the process of rapprochement with Pakistan on track.

It is learnt that Shiv Shankar Menon, a 1972 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, currently Ambassador in Beijing, will be the new Indian High Commissioner to Islamabad.

"We welcome the fact that Pakistan has responded to the initiatives of our Prime Minister. It is quite clear that several specific steps would need to be taken by Pakistan to move this process meaningfully forward..."

After official sources described the Pakistani Prime Minister, Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali's "statement" as "completely inadequate" last night, the spokesman today welcomed the nod given by Mr. Jamali to resume the civil aviation links. Even here, there was a qualification: "Our understanding is that such links would include direct air services and overflights. We have sought a specific confirmation from Pakistan in this regard. The Pakistani authorities have indicated that this issue could be discussed further between the civil aviation authorities of the two countries."

On trade issues, India continued to describe the SAARC-related proposals by Mr. Jamali as "clearly inadequate" given the "mandate" of the last summit of the grouping in Kathmandu. "We have repeatedly made it clear that substantive progress on trade and economic cooperation should take place to make the next summit meaningful," the spokesman said.

Referring to Mr. Jamali's statement, formally handed over by the Pakistani side to the Ministry of External Affairs today, he said the Pakistani leader had also proposed the resumption of road and rail links as well as sporting contacts. Making it plain that there was no immediate acceptance of these enhanced proposals from Pakistan, the spokesman maintained: "These measures can be considered in due course as we see progress on the steps announced by our Prime Minister, and there is evidence of Pakistan taking firm and credible action against cross-border terrorism and to dismantle the infrastructure of support to terrorism."

On the issue of terrorism, India, the sources said, wanted credible steps from Pakistan such as the arrest of leaders belonging to the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Jaish-e-Muhammad, as well as dismantling of the Lashkar's Muridke "launching pad". Other linked steps, such as snapping communication links from Pakistan to terrorist groups in Kashmir, would also be welcome in New Delhi.

As far as the possible resumption of dialogue was concerned, the spokesman said: "We remain committed to resolve all issues between India and Pakistan bilaterally, as provided for in the Simla Agreement and the Lahore declaration." "Prime Minister (Vajpayee), in his statement to Parliament on May 2, had made it clear that a sustained dialogue would necessarily require an end to cross-border terrorism and the dismantling of its infrastructure." Regarding the issue of talks on "nuclear and strategic stability" raised by Mr. Jamali last night, the spokesman remarked that talks on nuclear and other confidence-building measures could be held in the context of the "composite dialogue" (agreed upon in June 1997) which has the specific agenda item of peace and security, including CBMs.

Asked to respond to the remarks made by the Pakistani Foreign Minister, Khurshid Mehmud Kasuri, to press reports that the External Affairs Minister, Yashwant Sinha, had travelled to Africa to keep Pakistan out of the Commonwealth, the spokesman said Mr. Sinha did not react to Mr. Kasuri's comments. The less "we talk" the better it was for the process (of detente) between India and Pakistan, the spokesman said. It was, he added, "not helpful to get personal".

As India and Pakistan cautiously approach each other, engagement with the United States will also be a key factor in this process. Informed sources said that India had already "sensitised" the U.S. to its concerns during the meeting between the National Security Adviser, Brajesh Mishra, and the American Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage, in London.

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