ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and India are set to revive their Track-II dialogue for discussions on Kashmir and other outstanding issues.

“The two sides have agreed to revive Track-II dialogue to explore ways of resolving issues that have been lingering on for a long time and need to be resolved in order to give peace a chance,” Adviser on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz said at a press conference on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s meeting with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on July 10 on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Ufa, Russia.

Details of the revived Track-II will be worked out by the two countries through diplomatic channels.

This will be a second attempt under the Sharif government. Soon after his election, Prime Minister Sharif had initiated the Track-II by appointing Ambassador Shahryar Khan as his pointman for the purpose. Not much could then be achieved till the change in government in Delhi after last year’s elections.

The two sides will now give a fresh start to the informal dialogue.

The Track-II — an unofficial dialogue involving private individual, mostly retired officials, to resolve conflicts — has long been part of the peace process between Pakistan and India and complemented the official dialogue.

Although Mr Aziz insisted that Kashmir would always be part of the formal dialogue, it appeared from his press talk that substantive discussions on Kashmir would be held at the Track-II and this issue would be pushed down the list of priorities at the official track.

Kashmir and other outstanding issues will be taken up for discussion

“The July 10 meeting provided an opportunity to identify some areas where the two countries could promote cooperation right away in order to reduce tensions and hostility,” Mr Aziz said and went on to list maintenance of peace and tranquillity along the Line of Control and Working Boundary; and the discussions on each other’s concerns over terrorism as the few things that the two sides would seek to immediately deliver.

The meetings agreed in Ufa include a dialogue between the two countries’ national security advisers on terrorism and talks at the level of directors general of the Indian Border Security Force and Pakistan Rangers and the military operations on enforcement of ceasefire along the LoC and Working Boundary.

The planned interactions clearly don’t include a dialogue on Kashmir whose mention was also found missing from the joint statement.

Mr Aziz downplayed the absence of Kashmir in the joint statement and said: “Issues cannot be resolved by mentioning them in joint statements, but by holding dialogue on them. Our policy on Kashmir is very clear.” He said Pakistan would continue to extend political, moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmiris.

He said one of the objectives achieved through the meeting in Ufa was to reduce tensions and create an environment for a meaningful dialogue.

“The July 10 meeting was not the formal start of a dialogue process but it served an important purpose to achieve an understanding that both neighbours must reduce tensions and hostility in order to constructively engage in a structured dialogue on all issues of bilateral and regional interest, including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

On the Mumbai trial case, he said the reference of “additional information” was recognition of the need that more information was needed to expedite the trial.

Sharing his assessment of the Ufa talks, Mr Aziz said: “Neither should we be beating drums for having achieved a breakthrough nor look at them as very bad. It was, however, a good beginning and lot would depend on what happens next.”

Published in Dawn ,July 14th, 2015

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