October 11, 2005	Tuesday	Ramzan 6, 1426

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

ISLAMABAD, Oct 10: Officials have advised the government that the composite dialogue process with India should retain its primacy, and the revival of joint commission should not dilute its importance.

Informed sources told Dawn on Monday that the officials held that all out efforts should be made to keep the joint commission and the composite dialogue as stand-alone processes for enhancement of cooperation in various fields particularly in trade between the two countries.

A plenary meeting was held recently headed by foreign ministers of the two countries for revival of JC.

They said an active approach on the JC could lead to deflation of attention from core issues, the sources said adding it might also result in compromising the integrity of the composite dialogue.

“Our interest is to strengthen and sustain the composite dialogue process. The sub-commissions should be revisited with a view to streamlining the duplication and to take into account the development that have taken place since 1989,” a senior official told this scribe on condition of anonymity.

He pointed out that the composite dialogue also covers the subjects dealt by the JC.

The Pakistan and India Joint Commission was established in March 1983 to provide institutional framework for providing beneficial cooperation in the economic, trade, industry, education, health, cultural, consular, tourism, travel, information, scientific and technological fields.

The first meeting of the JC was held on June 1, 1983. During the meeting, four sub-commissions were constituted on economic matters, trade, information and education, travel and tourism. The second meeting of the JC was held in New Delhi from July 2-4, 1985 adopted reports of sub-commissions on agriculture, cultural cooperation, waiver of requirement of police reporting in respect of bonafide businessmen and holders of transit visas, railway booking facilities and exchange of information on narcotics trafficking.

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)