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India Remains Committed to Pakistani Dialogue, Senior Official Says By Mike Nartker WASHINGTON — India will follow through with a planned peace dialogue with its South Asian rival Pakistan, a senior Indian official said here yesterday (see GSN, Jan. 13). During a regional economic summit held in Islamabad earlier this month, India and Pakistan agreed to begin a joint dialogue next month to resolve outstanding bilateral issues — an effort that both sides expressed hope would resolve the lingering dispute over the Kashmir region, which has often threatened to become a flashpoint between the two nuclear-armed countries (see GSN, Jan. 6). During remarks yesterday at the Woodrow Wilson International Center, Indian External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha said India “remains committed” to beginning the dialogue next month, despite planned parliamentary elections this year. The elections “should not affect this process of dialogue since there is … the broadest political consensus in favor within India,” Sinha said. Sinha refused, however, to provide additional details about the planned dialogue, such as its possible agenda, where it will be held, or a specific date, saying that India and Pakistan “have both agreed to keep the media out of it.” “I said that expectations run ahead of reality. Why do expectations start running ahead of reality? Because somebody speculates. And we are not going to speculate,” he said. While in Washington yesterday, Sinha met separately with U.S. President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell. During those meetings, the two sides discussed a number of issues, including the planned dialogue and the recent joint U.S.-Indian announcement of expanded cooperation in several areas, such as civilian nuclear activities and high-tech trade (see GSN, Jan. 13). During brief remarks at the State Department following his meeting with Sinha, Powell praised the planned dialogue, noting past tensions in South Asia when Sinha previously visited the United States. “When the minister and I were here together some 18 months ago, I guess it was, we were worried about a conflict breaking out in the region, and how that conflict might escalate. And here today, we are able to talk about the success that the Indians and the Pakistanis achieved recently in Islamabad,” Powell said. “We are very pleased at these developments, as you might imagine,” he added. According to Sinha, a number of factors helped to prepare the way for the planned dialogue, including recent confidence-building measures such as the reopening last week of a rail link between India and Pakistan; and a continuing cease-fire that was reached in November — a cease-fire Sinha described as the “most comprehensive” yet (see GSN, Nov. 25, 2003). In addition, Sinha also praised a pledge made by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf during the meeting earlier this month in Islamabad to prevent terrorists from operating in all territory under Pakistani control. “There is a change in our attitude; there is a change in Pakistan’s attitude. If we had not changed, we had not been flexible, then the outcome in Islamabad would not have been possible,” Sinha said during his remarks at the Wilson Center. While calling on the international community to “shed [its] cynicism” based on past failed efforts, Sinha also sought to play down expectations of India and Pakistan reaching a far-ranging agreement during the planned dialogue. “We are entering a complex process. We won’t reach solutions overnight. What is, however, entirely possible and within our control is to stay engaged. Recent developments have demonstrated one simple truth — our chances of resolving the most contentious issues are higher when we tackle them in a warm, friendly and supportive environment,” Sinha said.
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