Track-II meeting to discuss cut in defence budgets
By Ihtashamul Haque
ISLAMABAD, Dec 17: The governments of India and Pakistan have given a go ahead to their former senior army generals, diplomats and leading intellectuals to develop an early understanding for the mutual reduction of defence expenditures.
“The two sides will soon discuss three major issues — reduction in defence budgets, signing of a nuclear restraint and stabilization regime and promotion of trade ties between the two countries,” said former foreign secretary Niaz A. Naik.
Talking to Dawn here on Wednesday, he said that the 22nd meeting of the track-II diplomacy would be held here from Jan 18-22 to discuss a host of issues, including increasing people-to-people contact between the two countries.
Mr Naik expressed the hope that initial understanding on three major issues would lead to the resolution of the Kashmir issue.
“We have proposed a common currency to be named as Rupa by 2010 for India and Pakistan, and in this behalf we are receiving an encouraging response from both the governments,” he claimed. It will be a freely convertible currency which would be launched with the support of the World Trade Organization, he added.
He said the groundwork for the five-day meeting would be completed by Jan 2 when Mr Rehman Subhan and Mr Haroon Subhan would arrive here from New Delhi. Former finance minister Babar Ali has been asked to coordinate with the two guests.
Mr Naik said later a ten-member Indian delegation to be headed by former foreign secretary Mr Rasgothra would arrive in Islamabad. The delegation would include former army general Vorha, Admiral (retd) Nair, Commodore (retd) N.B. Singh, George Verges of The Times of India, Raja Mohan of Daily The Hindu, Ms Manakshi Gopi Nath, Mr Bahbani Sen Gupta and two other members.
Pakistani side, Mr Naik said, would be headed by him and would include Gen (retd) K.M. Arif, Gen (retd) Omar, former governor of Sindh Ashraf Tabani, former information minister Javed Jabbar, former finance secretary H.U. Baig, former law minister Shahida Jamil, besides Khalida Ghous of the Karachi University.
The meeting, he said, would also discuss the impact of the 9/11 attacks on the international situation and its effects on bilateral and regional environment, including the situation in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“This meeting is going to be very important and it could lead to creating a consensus on various issues,” the former foreign secretary said.
He maintained that the track-III diplomacy being pursued by the South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA) was also helping in removing differences between the two countries by holding regular sessions of the organization.
The SAFMA office-bearers deserved praise and encouragement for trying to bring closer the people of both the countries, he added.
Responding to a question, he said initially there were hopes that there would be a “quantum jump” in the regional trade by the early signing of the South Asia Free Trade Area (SAFTA) agreement. “Our informal meetings are aimed at facilitating free movement of goods by having an economic union like that of the European Union (EU),” Mr Naik asserted.
“We are working for regional integration and both sides enjoy increased support of their respective governments in this behalf,” he said, adding that President Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali and the ISI director-general were being kept informed about the latest developments with regard to track-II diplomacy.
Similarly, he said, the Indian side was keeping its senior authorities informed about day to day developments concerning “our informal contacts”.
