November 8, 2003	Saturday	Ramazan 12, 1424

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

ISLAMABAD, Nov 7: PML-Q senator Tariq Azeem, who has recently returned from India after having spent almost a week there, believes that the increased exchange of visits between Pakistan and India may culminate in a breakthrough of relations.

Talking to Dawn on Friday, he disclosed that some of the ice of estrangement between the two countries was seen to be melting during the mid-October visit to New Delhi of a Pakistani parliamentary contingent of which he was a part.

He said the Pakistani delegation, which also included MNAs Chaudhary Manzoor, Fauzia Wahab, Maimona Hashmi, in comparison to earlier visits by such delegations, was given a relatively better access to top decision-makers of India.

For instance, he said, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s adviser on National Security, Brajesh Mishra, who is known as the ‘real prime minister’ among Vajpayee’s detractors in India, invited the delegation for an extensive discussion on the issues relating to India-Pakistan relations. He said at this meeting the two sides also discussed all possible CBMs between the two countries.

He said it was a matter of satisfaction for him that of the 12 CBMs announced by New Delhi subsequently, at least seven were proposed by the Pakistani delegation during this session with Mr Mishra.

“It was good to see our proposals receiving due importance in the Indian initiative that followed,” he said.

He said the Indian initiative about renewing cricket ties was suggested by him when he engaged Mr Mishra on the rationale of allowing Under 19 team to visit Pakistan. The issue of allowing each other’s High Commissioners flexibility of movement and reciprocation in official ‘calling on meetings’ was also discussed.

He said the Pakistani delegation was given a reception by parliamentarians, which was attended by key BJP leaders.

He also disclosed about a reception that Indian Minister Sushma Swaraj and her husband Swaraj Koshal had hosted for him. Sushma, he said, was of the opinion that it was “only President Musharraf and the BJP government in India that could resolve problems affecting the relations between the two countries.”

He said there were several other initiatives in the pipeline, which perhaps would follow Information Minister Sheikh Rashid’s visit to India. Then Federal Health Minister Naseer Khan will go to India on November 16, followed by a visit by the ruling PML-Q delegation in January next year. This is besides the possible visit of Chaudhary Shujaat, who had been invited by Bihar’s former chief minister Laloo Prasad Yadav.