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| 20 February 2004 | Friday | 28 Zilhaj 1424 |
'Islamabad, Delhi on steady peace path'
NEW DELHI, Feb 19: Indian newspapers Thursday splashed the announcement of an India-Pakistan dialogue timetable on their front pages, welcoming it as a sincere step to steer a steady course to peace.
The Hindu newspaper said that the schedule, announced on Wednesday after a first round of talks in Islamabad, would give ample time for their leaders to prepare, allowing a better chance of success.
"The two sides also displayed a commendable willingness to tackle the most contentious issues up front with discussions on the subjects of peace and security, and Kashmir to be held before the rest of dialogue gets under way," it said in an editorial.
According to the timetable, the two countries' foreign secretaries are to meet again in May or June for talks on Kashmir, followed by talks in July on seven other issues, including terrorism and the Siachen glacier, another disputed area.
Technical-level meetings on border security, nuclear issues and drugs trafficking were also agreed on, as were meetings in August between the foreign secretaries and foreign ministers of both sides to review overall progress.
The dispute over Kashmir has been the cause of two of the three wars between India and Pakistan, and remains the main obstacle to peace in South Asia. India alleges an armed separatist militancy in the Kashmir region is backed by Pakistan, but Islamabad insists it only provides moral and diplomatic support to militants it regards as freedom fighters engaged in a struggle for self-determination.
The Indian Express newspaper urged both sides to act cautiously so as not to lose the window of opportunity, as has occurred in failed peace initiatives in the past.
"Mercifully, adverse impulses and rhetoric for and against each other's well-entrenched positions have been absent in the latest round of talks," the newspaper said in an editorial.
"This is because both sides have made a conscious effort to adopt a positive approach. Efforts to maintain sober expectations from the current process have also been helpful," it added. -AFP
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