Musharraf, Vajpayee agree to work for peace
Hold an hour-long meeting; Sinha says Indo-Pak meetings to improve momentum of talks; FO optimistic about composite dialogue; details of meeting kept secret; foreign secretaries exchange views
By Mayed Ali and Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: President General Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee held an hour-long meeting on the sidelines of the Saarc summit here on Monday.
The meeting took place after a gap of two and a half years. Last time the two leaders had met in Agra in 2001. Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha, addressing a press conference here, said Prime Minister Vajpayee and President Musharraf have welcomed steps towards normalisation of relations between the two countries, and expressed the hope the process will continue.
He said India is interested in the furtherance of the peace process initiated by Prime Minister Vajpayee on April 18, and current meetings between the leaderships of the two countries will surely improve the momentum of bilateral talks. Sinha insisted it was a courtesy call.
"We are interested in the success of a ‘certain process’, and if you are interested in the success of the same process, you have to act responsibly." He later elaborated "certain process" as peace endeavours between the two countries.
Sinha said the Saarc summit itself was a testimony to the fact that the peace-initiatives by India and Pakistan had started materialising, making a positive headway. "The fact that prime minister of India came to Islamabad for attending the Saarc summit and met Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali and President Pervez Musharraf, I met my counterpart and foreign secretaries met each other is a progress in the peace process. Please look at it in this way," he said.
Sinha set aside a query whether the possibilities of confidence building measures (CBMs) had been exhausted. "Possibilities of CBMs have not been exhausted yet."
When asked to furnish details about the meeting between National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra and Director General Inter Services Intelligence Lt General Ahsan, Sinha said he did not think it was necessary. In the same vein, the Indian foreign minister said at this stage, if anyone said more than he had already revealed to the media would not be doing any service to the cause.
In response to a question on the statements of Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad vis-a-vis Vajpayee-Musharraf meeting, Sinha replied whatever has been said was speculation, and he would not like to speculate. He was of the view that such speculations would not do any justice to the cause of the peace process. He believed both the sides should avoid all kinds of speculations at this juncture.
Sinha said, "As I mentioned yesterday (Sunday), India had requested a courtesy call by Prime Minister AB Vajpayee on President Pervez Musharraf today, the meeting materialised before the scheduled retreat."
He said the meeting lasted about an hour. He told reporters the Indian premier congratulated President Musharraf on the successful conduct of the 12th Saarc summit at Islamabad. "Prime Minister Vajpayee also thanked the president for the excellent arrangements for the summit, and the Indian delegation."
The foreign minister revealed that the meeting took place in the presence of officials concerned from both sides, and that it was not a "one-on-one" call. He also said no schedule for holding such meetings in future had been finalised yet, neither India had invited PM Jamali or President Musharraf. He said President Musharraf had also not invited PM Vajpayee.
Sinha declined response to queries vis-a-vis contents of the joint declaration on the meeting, saying anyone who did so would not be sincere to the cause of peace in the region. He also evaded a question whether or not the Kashmir issue was taken up.
Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan, at a separate news briefing, termed the meeting "important" and expressed his optimism that it would lead to a composite dialogue between the two countries.
"The meeting between President Musharraf and Prime Minister Vajpayee was important as it was the first contact between the two since they met in Agra in 2001," he said without sharing the details of the "courtesy call".
Khan was cautious not to divulge the details of the meeting and despite repeated questions from eager media men he did not go into the specifics of what was discussed by the two leaders. He did not even comment when asked if the issues like Kashmir or cross-border terrorism were discussed.
Replying to a question, Khan did not commit that there would be follow up meetings after the two leaders had met but hoped that it would facilitate dialogue between the two sides. "I have no information about future meetings between Pakistan and India," he maintained. "The positive development is that the two leaders have met," he said, expecting that it would lead to the initiation of dialogue process and ultimately composite talks.
The spokesman said the first priority was the resumption of dialogue, which was suspended after Agra. The details like the level of talks and the agenda to be discussed in these talks were the subsequent priorities.
When asked if this meeting had produced any result, Khan said such meetings were always important. "We hope that this event would have positive impact on the peace and security in the region," he said, commenting, "its just a start."
To a question about nuclear related confidence building measures between the two countries and if the matter was discussed in the meeting, the spokesman without addressing the second part of the question said nuclear CBMs were a long-term goal.
He said it was important to elaborate the CBMs and the two countries must come up with a restraint regime.
Responding to a question about the activities of Brajesh Mishra, the national security adviser to Vajpayee, and if he met the ISI director general, the spokesman without denying or confirming the report said Mishra was a member of the Vajpayee’s official delegation visiting Pakistan. "He is having meetings with officials here," he said.
In his initial statement that he read, the spokesman said the meeting took place in a cordial atmosphere. The Indian prime minister, he said, thanked the president for the excellent arrangements for the Indian delegation and the hospitality extended to them.
Vajpayee also congratulated the president on a very successful conduct of the 12th Saarc summit. The meeting, the spokesman said, lasted for slightly more than an hour.
From Indian side, he said the external affairs minister, the national security adviser and the foreign secretary attended the meeting. From the Pakistan side, the foreign minister, the finance minister, the foreign secretary and country’s high commissioner to India were present.
The spokesman recalled that on the sidelines of the Saarc summit, the Indian prime minister had requested for a call on the president. Accordingly, the meeting took place Monday morning.
PPI adds: The foreign secretaries of Pakistan and India discussed bilateral and regional issues on a breakfast meeting here on Monday.
The Foreign Office spokesman told newsmen that the Saarc summit has provided an opportunity to both the countries to resume bilateral talks.
He said although the recent meetings between Pakistani and Indian leadership were just courtesy calls yet all issues have been discussed in a very cordial atmosphere. Masood Khan described these meetings as a good beginning for a bright future of South Asia. |
