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Islamabad: Despite some
core irritants continuing, India and Pakistan Saturday signaled
that they were ready to move ahead and not be "held hostage to
things that have happened in the past", signing a pact to
liberalise their visa regime to promote greater trade, travel and
people-to-people contacts.
As Pakistani foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar set the tone for
the movement forward in the relationship between both countries,
her Indian counterpart, S.M. Krishna echoed almost the same
sentiments at a joint press conference at the end of their meeting
here Saturday.
Khar said: "The relationship has the potential to be taken
forward. We must not let this relationship be held hostage to
history. For too long, we have allowed opportunities to be lost."
"Let us not look back. As the (Pakistan) foreign minister said,
let us not be held hostage to whatever happened in the past,"
Krishna said.
But later Saturday evening, Krishna clarified that there was no
question of India backtracking on the sensitive issue of the 26/11
Mumbai terror attack.
"Mumbai is very much on the table. They (Pakistan) will have to
take follow up action on that. India is not going back on it,"
Krishna told visiting Indian journalists here at the end of a day
of talks.
"There is no question of bypassing 26/11. What happened in the
immediate past is very much on the table," he said.
Both ministers held talks on a wide range of issues, including
terrorism, Kashmir, trade and ways to expand people-to-people
contacts.
After the talks, a pact on liberalising the visa regime was signed
by Krishna and Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik.
Terming the visa pact as the "big first step in normalizing
relations" between India and Pakistan, Khar pushed for forging a
people-centric and development-centric relationship between the
two countries.
"Let's hope a new chapter is written which is beneficial to both
sides," Krishna said, adding the discussions were held in a
"cordial and constructive atmosphere".
Khar, on her part, exhorted both countries to move beyond the
negative mindset. "We must move outside the negative mindset and
take a positive attitude to resolve all issues," Khar said.
"This is the vision behind Pakistan's abiding commitment to
normalising relations with India. By December, we will treat
traders from India like traders from any other country," she said,
alluding to Pakistan's in-principle decision to grant Most
Favoured Nation status to India.
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari Saturday approved the release
all Indian fishermen in Pakistani custody as a goodwill gesture.
During the talks, Krishna pushed for the speedy trial of the
perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai carnage. "Terrorism poses a
continuing threat to peace and security in the region," said
Krishna, calling for combating terrorism in "an effective and
comprehensive manner".
He said that India was reasonably satisfied with the progress of
the talks but added that "there is a long way to go and the path
is not easy".
Regarding the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Pakistan,
for which Islamabad has been pressing, Krishna said that no
conditions were being put by India for the visit.
"It will take place when he (PM) feels something worthwhile will
come out of it. I will give my assessment of the visit to the
prime minister..The PM's visit needs a lot of preparation. There
is no commitment that I could make. It is for the PM to decide (on
the invitation)," Krishna said.
In reply to a question, Krishna said that prime minister Manmohan
Singh was "not shying away from visiting Pakistan".
The visa agreement, which was struck after months of negotiations,
will ease trade and travel between the two countries.
Senior citizens, aged 65 and above, in India and Pakistan can now
walk across the border between the two countries and need not go
through the hassles of getting a visa from embassies in New Delhi
and Islamabad.
Senior citizens will be granted visas on arrival at the Attari and
Wagah border in India and Pakistan respectively.
Under the new arrangement, senior citizens will be granted a visa
on arrival valid for 45 days.
The visa agreement also includes group tourist visas and quicker
visas for businessmen.
(Jaideep Sarin can be contacted at jaideep.s@ians.in)
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