The Hindu : India, Pakistan to enhance mission strength

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 09, 2004

International

International - India & World

India, Pakistan to enhance mission strength

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, JAN. 8. In yet another step towards normalisation of ties, India and Pakistan have agreed to enhance the strength of their respective missions from the existing 55 to 75 and permit free movement of each other's diplomats.

Pakistan has also agreed to an Indian proposal for a meeting between the Indus River Water Commissioners for yet another round of talks on the height of the Balighar power project.

After the last round of dialogue ended in failure, Pakistan had threatened to seek third party intervention as provided under the Treaty.

India had made four proposals on December 31 as part of the confidence-building measures (CBMs) for betterment of ties between the two countries. Technical-level talks for starting a bus service between Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), and Srinagar and revival of the rail route between Sindh and Rajasthan were the other proposals mooted by India.

New Delhi had suggested January 12 and 19 as possible dates for the technical-level talks. The subject figured briefly at a meeting between the Foreign Secretary, Shashank, and his Pakistani counterpart, Riaz Khokar, when the two met on the sidelines of the SAARC summit here.

Mr. Khokar reportedly told Mr. Shashank that since the entire Foreign Office establishment was busy with the SAARC summit, Islamabad would get back to New Delhi shortly on the feasibility or otherwise of the dates for the technical-level talks. Indications are that Pakistan would apply its mind to the subject only some time next week.

While the Pakistan Foreign Minister, Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri, has said that he would like the bus service linking Jammu and Kashmir with PoK to start before February, senior officials in the Pakistan Foreign Office seriously doubted such a possibility given the complex issues involved. One view is that the proposals could wait till next month when both sides are committed to meet for commencement of the composite dialogue.

When India originally made the proposal on October 22 last year, the initial reaction of Pakistan was that it could consider it only if New Delhi was willing to allow people to travel in the bus on United Nations documents.

In the face of a categorical no from India, Pakistan revised its position and said it was ready to sit at the table for technical-level talks to discuss the travel modalities.

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