ISLAMABAD, Dec 1: The United States and the international community need to keep up the momentum for a “constructive dialogue towards peace” between Pakistan and India.

The Washington Times, in an article “The Pakistan-India Cease-fire”, commending Pakistan, “both on style and substance for the cease-fire it initiated with India”, says: “Given Pakistan’s latest overtures, India must respond by exercising more of its confidence-building measures.”

“Given the atmospheric improvements, now is the time for the international community, particularly the US, to keep up their constructive dialogue towards peace,” it suggests.

“The government of President Pervez Musharraf has demonstrated political savoir fare and a willingness to see peace overtures between Pakistan and India.”

On Sunday, Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali announced a unilateral cease-fire along the Line of Control in the disputed territory of Kashmir.

On Monday, Indian officials said they welcomed the move by Pakistan and the next day, military leaders of both countries formalized a joint cease-fire, the first declared between the two countries since the separatist insurgency in Kashmir began 14 years ago.

The article states: “If the cease-fire holds for some time, India will come under pressure to implement the whole range of confidence-building measures it announced in October. It will be much more difficult for India to continue to accuse Pakistan of abetting this infiltration if it isn’t firing at Indian troops across the LoC. Finally, once the cease-fire is called, neither of the parties will want to be seen as its spoiler.”—APP