February 3, 2006	Friday	Muharram 4, 1427

KARACHI, Feb 2: Opposition leader in the Rajya Sabha (upper house of the Indian parliament) Mr Jaswant Singh has welcomed moves towards the resumption of the rail service on Khokhrapar-Monabao sector after about four decades, and stressed the need for restarting the ferry service between Karachi and Mumbai.

Speaking at a luncheon hosted in his honour by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement at a local hotel on Thursday, he said that the resumption of ferry service would help the two countries give a boost to their trade ties, besides facilitating free movement of people.

Mr Singh, who is also a former foreign minister, suggested setting up of a camp office in Karachi to extend visa facility to people until the Indian consulate in the city was formally opened. “The camp office may work fortnightly, if not every week,” he proposed.

Mr Singh noted with satisfaction the increase in people-to-people contacts across the border, and observed that “governments have to listen to the call of time and voice of people. “Now when the Barmer route is being reopened, we should not forget Kutch and Bujh, and start considering resumption of the Karachi-Mumbai ferry service.”

Expressing his gratitude to President Musharraf for turning his dream of performing the Hinglaj Mata Temple Yatra into a reality, Mr Singh said that he had written a personal letter to the president for permission to visit Uthal via the Khokhrapar-Monabao route for the purpose. “And I got the permission within 10 days to lead a big delegation, which includes some MPs, to visit the temple.”

Speaking on the occasion, MQM’s parliamentary party leader in the National Assembly Dr Farooq Sattar underlined the need for peace in South Asia, and said that peace could help the whole region develop and prosper. He reminded Pakistan and India of their responsibilities in this regard.

Dr Sattar hoped that the peace process and confidence building measures undertaken by the two governments would help resolve all outstanding issues between the two sides.

He noted that the resumption of Khokhrapar-Monabao rail service would drastically reduce the travel time and the related hazards.

MEETS PAGARA: Jaswant Singh, along with the Indian High Commissioner, Mr Shiv Shankar Menon, and some members of his delegation, visited Kingri House here on Thursday for a goodwill call to PML-F chief Pir Pagara.

Talking to newsmen on the occasion, the two leaders shrugged off opposition to the reopening of the Kokhrapar-Monabao route from some quarters, and lauded the initiative as beneficial to the peoples of Pakistan and India.

Pir Pagara hoped that with the passage of time, even visa restriction would be lifted by the two countries. In this context, he gave the example of the European Union which had taken a little time in waiving the visa requirement for people belonging to its member countries, and observed that Saarc was still in the process of a similar move.

He was of the view that the opening of various routes between Pakistan and India would facilitate travel by peoples of both the countries. He said that the opening of the Khokhrapar-Monabao route would lead to increased contacts between the members of Hur community living on either sides of the border, thus accelerating the process of strengthening mutual relationship.

Pir Pagara said those opposing the revival of Khokhrapar rail route came mostly from Dadu, Nawabshah and other such areas which had no concern with Rajesthan. “As such, their opposition doesn’t matter,” he added.

Informing the newsmen that he had accepted Mr Singh’s invitation to visit India, the PML-F chief said: “We have family relations with them and if my health allowed me, I would certainly visit that country.”

On his part, Jaswant Singh, who is also a former foreign minister, said the friendship between India and Pakistan was the need of the hour and their respective governments could not resist it.

Mr Singh was also asked to comment on the opposition to the Khokhrapar- Monabao route initiative. He observed that every new move would face opposition by some people. “With the passage of time, they would start realizing the importance of the move.”

Mr Jaswant Singh was accompanied by Indian High Commissioner Shiv Shankar Menon, Rana Humair Singh, Rana Rajveer Singh and a few other members of his entourage at the meeting, where Pir Sadruddin Shah Rashdi was also present.

PEACE INITIATIVE: Earlier, speaking at a reception given in his honour by the Karachi Council for Foreign Affairs, Jaswant Singh called for support to the peace efforts initiated by the governments of the two countries.

He observed that the peoples of India and Pakistan were keenly looking forward as they wanted peace and tranquillity to prevail in the region. In this context, he urged opinion leaders on both sides to recognize the will of the people and move away from the idioms of the past in order to bring the two nations closer to each other.

Referring to his Hinglaj Yatra, he said he was deeply impressed by the hospitality extended to him and his delegation members by the people of Sindh and Balochistan.

He noted that there were many irritants and issues yet to be addressed by the leaderships of the two countries in order to establishing lasting peace and good neighbourly relations. However, he added, such issues, including Kashmir and Siachen, should not be allowed to become hurdles in the way of the peace process. He was of the view that all such issues could be resolved through peaceful means.

He said the rail and road links being opened between the two countries would facilitate free movement of the citizens of both India and Pakistan.

At the same time, he cautioned that the issue of Indo-Pakistan ties should not be considered simple to handle, as it involved deep sentiments. He, nevertheless, appeared optimistic about an amicable settlement of certain delicate and complicated issues, saying that this would be possible if both the sides buried the past and made constant efforts for a durable peace.

In reply to a question, Jaswant Singh said India would not give up its gas pipeline project under US pressure. “We will resist all such attempts,” he vowed.

Replying to another question, he said he failed to understand deployment of Nato forces in the region.

The function was attended by MQM MNA Kanwar Khalid Yunus, former National Assembly speaker Elahi Bakhsh Soomro, PPP leader Nafees Siddiqui, Iqbal Haider of the HRCP and Haleem Siddiqui.