Seizing the moment

The first structured dialogue between Pakistan and India in two-and-a-half years has ended with agreement on what is described as a basic roadmap to a peaceful and cooperative relationship.

It is seen as "basic" because it largely outlines the next steps to be taken in the dialogue instead of laying down any policy directions. Thus, after their meeting in Islamabad on Wednesday, the foreign secretaries have decided to meet again in May or June, with, in between, technical talks at various levels.

This step-by-step approach will culminate in August with a meeting between the foreign ministers, when the political impetus that led to the January meeting between President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpyaee and set the stage for the process now underway will again come into play.

Obviously, it is political will on both sides that can eventually make India and Pakistan establish normal ties, and one can only hope that it will not flag. The foreign secretaries also ruled out war as a solution to disputes, and Pakistan made a suggestion for instituting a strategic restraint regime.

Meanwhile, there has been further progress on confidence-building measures. The frequency of the Lahore-Delhi bus service has been increased from two to four a week; starting a bus service between Muzaffarabad and Sringar and re-establishing the Khokrapar rail links are also due to be seriously tackled.

Basically, the consensus is on working simultaneously on parallel tracks - Kashmir, CBMs, peace and security, Siachen, etc. This approach has the virtue of letting both sides claim that all issues of concern are being addressed.

Obviously, progress on one track will be swifter than on the other, and it might have been profitable to accord a higher priority to economic and commercial cooperation.

Businessmen on both sides seem to be straining at the leash to start dealing with one another, perhaps in some cases without quite thinking things through, but all evidence points to much mutual interest in this particular area.

There is no reason why ministers other than foreign ministers cannot discuss issues in their respective fields outside the timetable finalized in Islamabad. A certain amount of flexibility should be in order.

There has been a lot of talk in opposition circles in Pakistan and criticism in newspaper columns that the Indo-Pakistan ditente is the result of western, chiefly US, pressure.

That may be partly true, but it has the effect of devaluing both the existing and growing desire for friendly relations among ordinary people in both countries and the need for peace itself. However it has arisen, the moment must be seized and not allowed to slip away.

Sensible advice

Addressing a well-attended convention of ulema and mashaikh on Wednesday, President Pervez Musharraf exhorted religious leaders to promote unity and sectarian harmony and root out extremism from our society.

This is not the first time he has given this piece of sound advice to those who exercise a strong spiritual hold over our people. The influence of religion is ubiquitous in Pakistan, and as such the ulema have a massive following, but it is a pity that the religious leaders have not used their position as opinion-makers to promote a positive mindset vis-a-vis the practice of religious rituals and the cultivation of inter-personal relations among the adherents of different sects.

Admittedly, as the president pointed out, only a small minority upholds extremism and has brought a bad name to the country. But the fact is that most of the ulema have not played the role they are capable of in promoting social change and modernization.

Like the majority of people in the country, they have chosen to be moderate but have failed to raise their voice firmly against extremism and sectarianism. At a time when Pakistan has been singled out internationally as a hotbed of extremism and terrorism, it is important that the ulema should now work concertedly to improve the country's image by correcting the misconceptions that prevail.

There are three ways this can be done. First, there is need to teach the true Islam which stands for peace, love and brotherhood. In other words, the emphasis should be on the religion of the sufis and the saints with which we have been familiar and comfortable in our part of the world for centuries.

This should be reasserted, and who else can do it better than the ulema? Second, the ulema should identify and denounce the small minority in their midst which preaches and practises extremism.

The opinion of the religious leaders would carry more weight than of anybody else's and help reduce the appeal of extremists. Third, the ulema should also focus on man's existence in this world, since Islam provides guidance for both this world and the hereafter.

It is strange that the ulema choose not to address many of the values which we have gradually abandoned. Hygiene, work ethics, punctuality, tolerance, respect for other human beings, honesty, etc., which are the hallmarks of a civilized society, are considered to be too mundane for our religious leaders to even talk about.

It is heartening that the government itself is for the first time talking about the ulema playing a moderate and positive role. This has not been done before.

Iran train disaster

Shortly after the heart-wrenching Bam earthquake disaster, Iran has been hit by another tragedy. Nearly 300 people are reported dead after Wednesday's incident in which a goods train loaded with petrol, sulphur, fertilizer and cotton wool got detached from its locomotive following a tremor measuring 3.6 on the Richter scale.

The train's wagons carrying highly inflammable cargo rolled down the track for a good 20 kilometres before derailing and exploding with a massive bang. The explosions were so loud that their impact was felt as far as the Khorasan capital of Mashhad, 75km away.

The train crash occurred on the main line between Tehran and Mashhad, near the historical city of Nishabur, known for its mines of turquoise and medieval architecture.

The rail corridor is also tipped as a golden trade corridor as it connects Iranian ports in the south with Turkmenistan in the north and with Turkey in the west. Increased goods train traffic on this route calls for stricter vigilance on the part of the authorities, especially in cases where hazardous cargo transportation is concerned.

The entire Iranian plateau and the neighbouring regions in Pakistan and Turkey are earthquake-prone and make the movement of such commodities twice that lethal. Transportation of inflammable material such as petro-chemicals in Pakistan is largely unregulated, particularly in relation to carriage by road.

It is difficult to say whether or not the Iranian disaster could have been foreseen since it is attributed to an earthquake. But we can draw some lessons from it and re-double safety measures for trains and tankers carrying potentially dangerous material.