May 5, 2003	Monday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 2, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, May 4: Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said in his response to Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali’s formal invitation on Saturday that India would soon be sending a high commissioner.

The Indian government had recalled its high commissioner from Pakistan in January 2002 as a consequence of an attack on Indian parliament on Dec 13, 2001. New Delhi blamed Pakistan for the attack but Pakistan rejected the allegation.

Prime Minister Vajpayee’s faxed response was handed over to officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at around 8.30 on Saturday night, in what must have been one of the most rapid diplomatic communications between any two prime ministers. Prime Minister Jamali’s invitation was handed over to the acting Indian high commissioner, T.C.A. Raghavan, earlier at midday.

Mr Vajpayee thanked Prime Minister Jamali for his invitation and quoting from his speech that he gave in parliament, he said India was ready to discuss all bilateral issues, including the Kashmir issue, provided “cross-border terrorism” is stopped, informed sources told Dawn on Sunday.

The Indian prime minister said a start should be made with smaller things like promoting economic, cultural and sports ties, and people-to-people exchanges. He agreed with the Pakistani prime minister on the necessity to maintain the momentum after their telephonic contact.

However, Prime Minister Vajpayee wrote in his letter that he believed in a “step by step” approach in the build-up towards the summit proposed by Prime Minister Jamali, the sources added.

India at present is reiterating its position on no high-level dialogue on the Kashmir issue without an end to the alleged cross-border terrorism, but at the same time is willing to hold junior-level dialogue on the non-Kashmir issues. This is understandable given that Mr Vajpayee is under tremendous pressure from the hardliners in his cabinet.

Prime Minister Vajpayee’s fast response to Mr Jamali’s invitation is also read by some observers as an attempt to satisfy the anti-Pakistan lobby by qualifying his position on resumption of high-level talks.

Pakistan is expected to give a response to Mr Vajpayee’s letter soon.