WASHINGTON, June 15: President Pervez Musharraf is coming to the United States with a proposal for “composite dialogue” with India, diplomatic sources told Dawn on Sunday.

He is also expected to sign two major agreements — the trade and investment framework agreement (TIFA) and another on science and technology — during his stay in the US.

While the Indian and Pakistan media are focusing on the impact of the visit on the ongoing peace process — particularly on the search for a possible solution in Kashmir — official and diplomatic sources say the talks will focus on economic issues.

They describe the expected signing of the trade and investment framework agreement as a major achievement. They point out that TIFA will ultimately lead to a free trade agreement, which is more useful than any strategic alliance. They say strategic pacts are based on specific issues, when the issue is resolved the pact also becomes ineffective. Pakistan experienced this twice, first during the Cold War and then during the Afghan war.

On the other hand, the sources say, a commercial alliance lasts longer and develops interest groups that work to promote the interests of the allied nation because they benefit from it too.

Besides TIFA, President Musharraf is also expected to sign an agreement on science and technology, which will allow Pakistani nationals to come to the US for training. Washington will also provide some assistance for the development of science and technology in Pakistan.

Diplomatic sources say while the ongoing efforts for resuming Pakistan-India dialogue will be high on the agenda of the Musharraf-Bush talks, it would be wrong to expect a breakthrough, especially in resolving the Kashmir dispute.

“The talks will be about resuming bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan and President Bush will see it as a major achievement if he succeeds in bringing the two sides to the table,” said a senior diplomat. “He realizes that disputes like Kashmir are not so easy to resolve.”

According to these sources, President Musharraf is coming to Washington with a proposal for “composite dialogue” with India. The concept of “composite dialogue” goes beyond Pakistan’s traditional stance that Kashmir should be settled first before other issues are discussed.

Instead, Pakistan is now proposing “simultaneous talks on all issues,” said a senior South Asian diplomat. “What Pakistan is saying now is that India and Pakistan can discuss bilateral trade, Sir Creek, boundary disputes, people-to-people contacts and other issues along with the Kashmir dispute. They do not have to finish Kashmir first.”

After their initial contacts with Indian and Pakistani officials on these issues, US officials have indicated that they see a genuine desire for talks on both sides. “We can hope for a real improvement in the environment,” said a US official.

But he said on the Kashmir issue, both sides were still staying close to their traditional stance: Pakistan says there has to be a plebiscite to determine Kashmir’s future and India insists that the talks should focus on returning Azad Kashmir to New Delhi.

“These are, of course, extreme positions and we expect them to soften their stances when the talks begin,” he added.

Meanwhile, both Indian and Pakistani diplomats are urging their journalists not to expect a breakthrough on Kashmir. At least no yet.

“Right now, we are talking about talks, i.e., how and when to start the dialogue. Once the talks start, we will discuss the modalities and the less difficult issues first and then we move on to Kashmir,” said another senior South Asian diplomat.

“The Kashmir talks are going to be very difficult and we should not expect a breakthrough in one, two or even several sessions. It will be a long process,” he said.

“It will already be a major success if we agree to talk,” he added.

The Indian and Pakistani diplomats also rule out the possibility of bus visits like the one that brought Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to Lahore in 1999.

They believe this time issues will be worked out at lower levels and it will be sometime before the leaders of the two countries can meet.

The Bush administration is also being careful and is trying not to raise expectations. During the past one week, the State Department scheduled three briefings on the India-Pakistan situation, only to cancel them at the eleventh hour.