The Hindu : National : ``India, Pakistan must set milestones during talks''

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 27, 2005

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National

``India, Pakistan must set milestones during talks''

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Media in India and Pakistan must be prepared to address the practical problems between the two countries by going beyond describing them as core or substantive issues, Javed Jabbar, co-convenor of South Asian Editors Forum (SAEF), said here on Thursday.

At a press conference on the eve of a two-day workshop of SAEF, he described the ongoing interaction between the media of both countries as "Track III dialogue" as distinct from Track II diplomacy, a non-government initiative. In this case, it was more of a people-to-people dialogue through the media.

Mr. Jabbar, a former Federal Minister of Information, said he was "not fully satisfied" with the pace of the peace process on substantive issues, especially Kashmir. The two countries must set milestones during the dialogue and strive to reach them.

The SAEF workshop, he said, was taking place at "a remarkable moment" in the history of relations between the two nations.

An Indian defence team was already in Pakistan to discuss (pull-out of troops from) the Siachen glacier, the world's highest battlefield, while in another two days Pakistan would play host to Leader of Opposition L.K. Advani.

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