Accord on anti-terror cooperation: Siachen moves closer to resolution
By Jawed Naqvi
NEW DELHI, Nov 15: The foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan concluded two days of crucial talks on Wednesday with landmark agreements on anti-terror cooperation and nuclear risk reduction while also raising hopes for an early solution to the Siachen dispute.
Consequently, a joint anti-terror mechanism is being licked into shape. A three-member team from each side would be headed by an additional secretary at their foreign ministries, with the other two members to be still decided, possibly from intelligence services and/or the home ministries. The task before the mechanism is to consider counter-terrorism measures including through the regular and timely sharing of information.
In this context, some information relating to alleged Pakistanis being involved in terror incidents in India was handed to the Pakistani side who said they would look into the accusations.
Several highlights marked the talks between Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammed Khan and his Indian counterpart Mr Shiv Shankar Menon, not the least being the joint statement they rustled up with an unmistakable positive ring.
Even in their separate statements to the media, the two senior officials reflected self-assuredness and fair play instead of mealy-mouthed innuendoes the two often take recourse to. For example, there were at least two occasions in his news conference when the Indian foreign secretary emphatically distanced himself from the media-led angularities over terrorism.
One comment came in response to the anguish expressed by Mr Khan over finger-pointing against Pakistan within minutes of the Mumbai blasts. Asked to comment on his counterpart's objection to instant allegations that followed the Mumbai tragedy, Mr Menon's reply was short and stunning. "I do not think he accused the Government of India of doing that."
In other words, the message was clear: please don't confuse India's foreign ministry with the Mumbai police chief. More, there was also a clearly stated resolve to avoid future finger-pointing.
"We would certainly try to move away from exchanging allegations in public because I am not sure if that is the best way to get real action or get anything done," Mr Menon said in response to a query.
"I think the fact is that this is an on-going conversation and it is not a conversation that just began today or yesterday. It is something that has been going on. The anti-terrorism mechanism gives us another way of carrying on that conversation and seeing that it results in action."
Briefly put, the new mechanism will not only explore ways to fight and investigate terrorist incidents in both countries, it would take the issue away from the realm of media speculation, and related counter-productive hype.
On its part, Pakistan's approach to the talks was reflected in its uncommon flexibility on the Siachen dispute. Even as the Indian side claimed there were differences to be resolved, Mr Khan appeared to be making an earnest quest to seal a pact on Siachen some time soon.
Noting India's insistence on the authentication by Pakistan of the actual group position of the troops as a condition for an agreement, Mr Khan did not reject the idea outright. Instead, he said: "If the desire is indication of positions as they are today, then surely that could be accommodated. But if the position is that there should be an endorsement of a claim, then that would be unfair expectation."
In other words, as a Pakistani official explained, an agreement could identify the current locations but would also set up a mechanism to ensure that no one rushed into the vacated areas. Mr Khan acknowledged there were legitimate fears on both sides. "But these fears are like shadows, which, depending on the point of light, can shrink or become formidable. We need to address these fears," he said. He supported the idea of converting Siachen into a mountain of peace.
Mr Menon said the two-day meeting was special for both sides. "This is an important round, a significant round, different from other rounds which were merely meant to review the progress in the Composite Dialogue that we have with Pakistan."
Two or three key visits are being mentioned, that are directly or indirectly linked to the fresh and easier ties. Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri is due to visit New Delhi to attend a wedding later this month. It is likely that he would meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee at the private function, if not more formally.
In December, Mr Mukherjee would make his first trip to Islamabad, to deliver the invitation for the Saarc summit to President Gen Pervez Musharraf. Then Mr Kasuri would be back in New Delhi, in January, this time to review the end of the third round of composite dialogue that concluded on Tuesday and Wednesday. If all goes well, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh then ought to be able to meet Gen Musharraf in Islamabad soon after.
Mr Mukherjee also made a reference to his Pakistan agenda at a separate public function on Wednesday. He said: "The coming decade is crucial for India-Pakistan relations, which even today are at a cross-roads. It is not possible for us to change borders, but we can surely reduce the salience of borders in our relationship. "We have endeavoured to do precisely that with a series of initiatives that promote people-to-people relations. In the process, what has emerged is the deep yearning amongst ordinary people for peace and normalcy. Sustaining and expanding this process would be one of the important challenges of India's foreign policy. But this can happen only when diplomacy is allowed to function without interruption. If, on the other hand, terrorism is perceived and practiced as an instrument of statecraft, then the most imaginative diplomacy will be founder on lack of domestic support."
