The Hindu : International / India & World : Progress needed on all issues, says Pakistan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 16, 2005

International

International - India & World

Progress needed on all issues, says Pakistan

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, FEB. 15. Pakistan continued to talk tough on issues related to the two countries ahead of the External Affairs Minister, Natwar Singh's visit to the country.

At a press briefing, the Foreign Office spokesman, Masood Khan, said simultaneous progress was needed on Kashmir and other confidence-building measures (CBMs). He was responding to Mr. Singh's remarks about the "extraordinary speed" with which relations between India and Pakistan were progressing. The spokesman said while the progress on CBMs was "swift" there was little progress on resolution of Kashmir.

Mr. Khan said Pakistan desired a concrete and result-oriented dialogue process with India and looked forward to the visit of its External Affairs Minister. Asked if any breakthrough could be expected from the forthcoming talks, the spokesman said, "every opportunity is a new opportunity. Every day is a new day. Until we resolve all the complex issues, we cannot claim a breakthrough." He described the just concluded talks on the Kishangaga project as "not encouraging" and maintained that Pakistan would like to wrap up the talks on the project at the earliest.

The spokesman said Islamabad was being blamed for the "inordinate delay" in asking the World Bank to resolve the Baglihar hydroelectric project. The Kishanganga project provided an opportunity to wrap it up fast. The spokesman said both sides must recognise the importance of mechanisms for resolution of differences under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty and strive to resolve issues strictly in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty.

He was non-committal on the Srinagar-Muzafarabad bus link, saying Pakistan would be in a position to report on the subject only after the talks between the two Ministers tomorrow. Mr. Khan said Pakistan was ready for the bus link if India showed "flexibility" on Islamabad's terms of doing away with visas and passports as travel documents and restrict the bus service to Kashmiris.

Asked when the consulates of India and Pakistan will be reopened in Karachi and Mumbai, Mr. Khan said Islamabad was ready to start its Consulate in Mumbai tomorrow if India agreed to hand over Jinnah House to Pakistan.

Referring to recent media reports quoting a CIA-NIC analysis that Pakistan would be a "failed" state by 2015, Mr. Khan said the Indian media was selective in its coverage. The analysis was equally critical of India. The CIA observation on Pakistan was "off the mark and highly speculative", he said.

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