The Hindu : Track-II diplomacy back on rails?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 19, 2003

International

International

Track-II diplomacy back on rails?

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

Salim Mohammed, a prisoner released from a Pakistani jail, crossing over to India at the Wagah checkpost on Sunday.

ISLAMABAD May 18. Peace moves between India and Pakistan have given a new lease of life to the Track-II diplomacy that had fallen on the wayside after rise in tensions between the two countries in the last 16 months.

The former Pakistan Foreign Secretary, Niaz A. Naik, (an active Track-II member of the Nimrana group) would lead a four-member Pakistani delegation to Kathmandu for an interaction with a group of Indian intellectuals. The Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh University, Prof. Khusro, would head the Indian team.

The Pakistani side will include Gen. (retd.) K.M. Arif, Asma Jehangir, Talat Wazarat of Karachi University and Lt. Gen. (retd.) Jahangir Karamat. The Indian side will have the former Minister of State for External Affairs, Salman Haider, Mani Shankar Aiyer and others.

This will be the 23rd informal contact between the two sides, the last one having taken place in 2001. Kashmir, Siachen and issues relating to exchange of cultural delegations, trade and easing visa restrictions would be discussed.

A delegation of retired generals from India is expected to be here as part of the Indo-Pak. Soldiers for Peace Initiative. Among those active in this forum include the former Navy chief, Ramdas.

Mr. Naik, who was actively engaged in back channel diplomacy during the Kargil crisis, has claimed that he had discussed the `Chenab Formula' with his Indian counterpart, R.K. Mishra, and that the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, was in the knowledge of the discussions. In a recent television interview, he claimed that the Indian Government "showed a lot of interest" in it. "We discussed the formula with a map of Jammu and Kashmir in front of us".

He claimed that many things were decided but they did not materialise. He said, according to the formula, Chenab river was to be adopted as the new line of division between India and Pakistan.

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

International

Stories in this Section

West Asia: Peace talks put on hold

Morocco trail leads to Iran?

Putin vows to speed up reforms

Overwhelming vote for E.U.

Protect rights, Amnesty tells Dhaka

Peace-keepers arrive in Burundi

Bangladesh study accuses BSF of 'atrocities'

PPP denies 'deal' with Jamali Govt.

Bremer reviews situation

50,000 marooned by tidal surge in Bangladesh islands

Indian Navy helping Sri Lanka in flood relief

Track-II diplomacy back on rails?

Indo-Russian naval exercise from May 20

Cannes showcases society with intensity

Amitabh to star in film on Mandela