The Hindu : National : Dixit-Aziz meetings generate hope

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Tuesday, Sep 14, 2004

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National

Dixit-Aziz meetings generate hope

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 13. After last Friday's meeting between the National Security Adviser, J.N. Dixit, and his Pakistan counterpart, Tariq Aziz, in a third country, the Government hopes that the Manmohan Singh-Pervez Musharraf interaction in New York next week will produce a clutch of workable "options" on Kashmir. The two Advisers are confident of squeezing in another meeting before the principals' meet.

So far, there have been three Dixit-Aziz meetings, away from the glare of media attention. According to a foreign office aide, Mr. Dixit is said to have described Mr. Aziz as the "most reasonable" Pakistan interlocutor in his three decades of contacts with Pakistan officials and diplomats. The assessment is that Mr. Aziz can deliver and has delivered. He is deemed to have the trust and confidence of the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf.

The two Advisers seem to have hit it off. Because of the chemistry between the two, New Delhi has chosen not to take too harsh a view of Gen. Musharraf's latest remarks in Quetta where he was reported to have said that "we will not give up Kashmir."

A few telephone calls between New Delhi and Islamabad were enough to elicit the explanation that Gen. Musharraf was speaking to his audience of army commanders, the very group that is engaged in carrying out the most intense anti-terror military campaign on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

Frank interactions

The Dixit-Aziz interaction, according to knowledgeable sources, is marked by frankness. The Indian side has reiterated concern over the terrorist infrastructure remaining intact in that country. India has proposed that even if the Pakistani establishment may not be in a position (or even in total unanimity) to control and dismantle the jihadi outfits, it can certainly undertake to do the easily doable things — choke off the money supply of the jihadis as well as dry up their weapons supply. New Delhi is prepared to wait and see whether Mr. Aziz can deliver on these two counts.

If Mr. Dixit and Mr. Aziz find the time and place to get together for a quiet chat before the Manmohan-Musharraf meeting, they could possibly shortlist a number of "options," mutually acceptable to India and Pakistan, on Kashmir. Gen. Musharraf is on record as having said that the two sides will have to look at options other that what is proposed by India and rejected by Pakistan as well as what is proposed by Pakistan and rejected by India. The onus has been put on Pakistan to come up with concrete suggestions as to these new options, ideas that Dr. Singh and Gen. Musharraf can look at in New York.

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