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Speaking in one voice

By Amit Baruah

ISLAMABAD JAN. 3. It is not often that the Indian and Pakistan Foreign Ministers agree in such an emphatic manner. Both Yashwant Sinha and Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri said separately today that the SAARC summit, which begins on Sunday, will be a historic one.

Unlike in February 1999, when the Lahore summit took place, the Pakistani press is appreciatively less hostile towards peace-making with India this time round. One English newspaper carried a photograph of Mr. Sinha and Mr. Kasuri hugging each other in today's editions.

Last time in Lahore, Indian newspapers carried headlines such as "New dawn breaks over Lahore" and "Vajpayee in Pakistan, steps into history". Large sections of the Pakistani press, however, played it down and, instead, highlighted the Jamaat-i-Islami-led protests against the Indian Prime Minister's visit.

A point to be noted is that the Jamaat and other "anti-India" forces are maintaining a studied silence on Mr. Vajpayee's visit. No protests have been planned.

* * *

Mr. Sinha displayed considerable tact at a press conference he addressed for the Indian and Pakistan media at the Holiday Inn Hotel, where both the Indian and SAARC media centres are located.

Asked if the idea of a South Asian Economic Union was intended to undo "Partition" — a fear harboured by many Pakistanis — he made it clear that India had no such intentions. Mr. Sinha had a calm and considered response to even the most hostile of questions.

Since the bilateral show between India and Pakistan is just getting under way, Mr. Sinha is likely to need more of the same characteristics he displayed on Friday. Full marks to the Joint Secretary (External Publicity), Navtej Sarna, for allowing Pakistani journalists to pose a series of questions.

* * *

This will be the 12th SAARC summit in the organisation's 18 years of existence. Six summits, it would appear, have been eaten up on account of the differences between India and Pakistan. While India and Pakistan appear pleased with the progress made in Islamabad, the former Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, Lakshman Kadirgamar, provided a new dimension to the utility of SAARC.

In one of the many lectures this erudite South Asian delivered in New Delhi, he argued that SAARC summits had always provided a meeting ground for India and Pakistan on the sidelines. It appears that Mr. Kadirgamar's thesis may be validated yet again in Islamabad.

* * *

The Indian press has arrived in droves to cover the summit. Last night, the Indian High Commissioner, Shivshankar Menon, hosted a dinner for them at his residence. Today, the same favour is being extended to them by the Pakistani Information Minister, Sheikh Rasheed.

Those who did not have immediate deadlines set off this morning for the historic centre of Taxila, a visit well worth their time. Others went shopping for the fantastic and varied carpets and `kilims' (a cross between a `durree' and a carpet) available in Islamabad.

All the action — the flurry of briefings that take place on the SAARC meetings — that inevitably lead to questions on India-Pakistan affairs — tend to take place in the evenings.

* * *

Kamran Khan, a columnist for The News, claimed today that the late Dhirubhai Ambani, founder of Reliance Industries, reportedly met the Pakistani leader, Pervez Musharraf, in Indonesia in 2000.

"An informed official said that possessed with deep business interests [sic] in oil and gas, Ambani travelled to Indonesia in 2000 for a meeting with President Musharraf and offered to use his influence with the ruling BJP leaders for the creation of a win-win situation for both countries. Ambani claimed to have some U.S. support too," Mr. Khan, known for his links in the establishment here, wrote.

"Pakistani officials said that Indian businessmen constitute the most influential lobby pushing Mr. Vajpayee and the BJP leadership to broker a durable peace agreement with Pakistan," he added.

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