From: Habib Yousafzai <yousafzai49@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Feb 7, 2011 at 11:37 AM
Subject: [bangla-vision] There is no need to beat around the bush says Habib Yousafzai
To: Bangla-Vision <bangla-vision@yahoogroups.com>
There is no need to beat around the bush says Habib Yousafzai Any discussion or talks between India and Pakistan will not be fruitful unless India declares that Kashmir is a disputed territory and has to be solved according to the wishes and aspirations of Kashmiris. Most of the issues mentioned below are by-products of the core issue which is Kashmir, while others do not have anything to do with the Kashmir Issue and can be discussed and more easily agreed upon at later date. If India is sincere in its intentions it should announce first that Kashmir belongs to the Kashmiris the citizens who inhabit that land, and then come to discuss it. As such, the Indian Government must note that it is now running out of time and it is in the best interest of India that it must cease its illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir as doing so will route out the majority of the problems which create a rift between the two nations. India, Pak in dialogue mode Foreign Secretaries Meet in Thimpu AJAY KAUL Thimphu, Feb 6: Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan met here tonight in a fresh attempt to put their stalled dialogue process back on track and try to bridge the trust deficit plaguing the relationship. A day before the meeting, India and Pakistan exchanged barbs over the issue of the Samjhauta blasts and the Mumbai terror attacks, but the two Foreign Secretaries chose to set a positive tone ahead of their talks. Both Nirupama Rao and her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir have said separately that they would endeavour to find a way forward for continued engagement between the two countries. "We are resuming our contact after interregnum of some time. We have a number of issues to be discussed. As we have always said that dialogue between India and Pakistan is necessary and a must if we are to satisfactorily resolve the outstanding issues between our two countries," she said. "We have a number of outstanding issues. So, we are going into this with an open mind and constructive attitude," Rao said. Noting that her Pakistani counterpart would also have a "number of ideas" to discuss, Rao said, "so, this is going to be exploratory discussion and we hope that through this process, we can find a way forward." Bashir, on his part, said he was looking forward to his meeting with Rao. "My expectations are that we should be working towards continued engagement," he said. He said the two Foreign Secretaries would be preparing for engagement between their Foreign Ministers. Rao and Bashir, who are here to attend the SAARC Foreign Secretaries' meeting, are holding talks on its sidelines. The Indian delegation that went into the talks includes Joint Secretary, Pakistan Division Y K Sinha, Indian High Commisioner to Pakistan Sarat Sabharwal and Joint Secretary XP Division Vishnu Prakash.From the Pakistani side the representatives included High Commissioner to India Shahid Malik. "We have already said an investigation is going on in Samjhauta blast. It was an act of terrorism, there is no doubt about it," she said about the February 2007 incident in which 68 passengers, including Pakistanis, were killed when an explosion took place at Panipat in Haryana when the cross-border train was on its way to Pakistan. To a question, she emphasized that India will share with Pakistan if there is any evidence to share and when "we are ready to share evidence." Bashir, meanwhile, refused to comment when asked about the Samjhauta issue in the backdrop of the statement issued by the Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman. "Why do you want to pick up one issue? There are a plenty of issues," he said. Rao and Bashir, who are here for the SAARC meeting of Foreign Secretaries and Council of Ministers, are expected to discuss the issue of terrorism, besides some confidence- building initiatives concerning fishermen, people-to-people contacts and trade and commerce. This will be the first meeting between the Foreign Secretaries since the last one in Pakistan in July last year which ended in a failure. "Our attempt is to unlock the dialogue process and find the right path to move ahead," sources said. The meeting could decide on the dates for the India visit of Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi who has accepted the invitation extended by External Affairs Minister S M Krishna. Qureshi has so far refused to visit India unless there is an assurance of "result-oriented" talks. India is approaching the talks, which are basically "exploratory" in nature, with "cautious optimism", sources said, hoping Pakistan would also move in with the same spirit. Even after the failed July talks, the two sides have been maintaining contacts through diplomatic channels and their leaders have met on the sidelines of some multilateral events. The resumption of full-fledged dialogue, which was stalled after the 2008 Mumbai attacks, would, however, depend on the progress by Pakistan to punish all those behind the 26/11 strikes, the sources said. India is of the view that Pakistan could have done more on this front, particularly in bringing to book the perpetrators of 26/11 attacks. Rao is also expected to seek an update from Bashir on the investigations and trial in the Mumbai attacks case in Pakistan. She is also expected to seek a response from Bashir on India's request for voice samples of the persons in Pakistan who were heard coordinating the 26/11 attacks.
The meeting comes six months after the talks between the Foreign Ministers of the two sides collapsed in Pakistan.
When asked about the provocative statement given by Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit questioning the pace of probe into Samjhauta Express blast, Rao said India has already made it clear that probe details would be shared with Pakistan if there is anything to share.
However, the Indian side has sought to play down expectations from the meeting, and has made it plain that "one meeting of the Foreign Secretaries is not going to lead to solutions". It, however, could pave the way for solutions.
Palash Biswas
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http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/
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