New Delhi
9 March 2007
New Delhi has said that "a set of ideas" on Jammu and Kashmir,
including demilitarisation, "are on the table" with Pakistan but the talks at the foreign
secretary-level talks in Islamabad next week will have to be held within certain "basic
parameters".
There would be no dilution of India's sovereignty and no change in the borders, sources
tracking the India-Pakistan peace process said on Friday. They emphasised that any
discussion on possible solutions would need to be within this "clear framework" and
also within the Constitution of India.
New Delhi also said that Pakistan would be engaging in a "zero-sum game" if it treated
Jammu and Kashmir as a territorial issue. "That is unlikely to get us anywhere but if
Pakistan looks at it as a humanitarian issue, then we can do something," the sources
said in response to a question.
"We are quite happy to talk to them on J&K but there are limits to what a democratically
elected government can do but within that there is a tremendous flexibility to work," they
added. Cross-Line of Control CBMs like free travel to "allow ideas across" were cited as
the "practical steps" both countries could think of.
New Delhi said that infiltration had come down in the first two months of this year as
compared to the corresponding period in 2006. However, the level of infiltration over a
longer period of time, like in the last two years, was "about the same". The sources
sought to explain that the problem was the "infrastructure" of terrorism on the Pakistani
territory and also the fact that terrorist groups were being treated well by the Government
of Pakistan. The welfare camps set up by the Jama'at-ud-Da'awa, in the aftermath of the
blasts aboard the Samjhauta Express, were cited in this regard.
The sources said that the joint survey of Sir Creek has been completed and the meeting
to discuss the joint report was expected to conclude by the month-end. "We are moving
forward (on Sir Creek)," they said. Discussions on Siachen would continue in the
forthcoming talks, the sources said.
On demilitarisation in Jammu and Kashmir, New Delhi has said that it wanted to
undertake demilitarisation in the state but the decision would depend on reduction of
threat coming from across the border. "We would undertake demilitarisation ... but it will
depend on the security situation," the sources said.
The next round of India-Pakistan foreign secretary-level talks would be held on March 13
and 14 in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. The foreign secretaries will initiate the
fourth round of the Composite Dialogue and hold discussions on peace and security,
including confidence building measures and J&K.
New Delhi was expected to adopt a three-fold approach to the talks next week. It would
continue to push for proposals like pilgrimages and a liberalised visa agreement,
discuss the issue of terrorism all over again and also seek to give an impetus to various
proposals currently under way in the SAARC.
For its part, New Delhi has asserted that it was "satisfied" with the progress of the
Composite Dialogue process although it would like to see "much quicker results". "This
is a process that is working," the sources said, adding that the joint anti-terrorism
mechanism would be "a measure of Pakistan's sincerity".
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