ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto is likely to meet Indian Prime Minister V. P. Singh in Maldives later this year in a bid to speed up the process of easing tension in the subcontinent and give a fresh impetus to normalization of relations between the two countries,
The two leaders, who are expected in Male for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in November, would utilize the occasion to exchange views and perceptions on issues which have resulted in strained relations between the two countries.
Confirming reports of the possibility of such a meeting, a Pakistan foreign office spokesman said that bilateral meetings on such ‘occasions have been common in the past.
He also expressed the hope that the forthcoming talks at the foreign secretaries’ level would provide a solid ground for continuing parleys between the two premiers.
Islamabad expects the July 18 and 19 talks between the foreign secretaries Muchkund Dubey and Tanvir Ahmad Khan to be comprehensive, purposeful and instrumental in defusing tension and making some meaningful headway towards normalization of relations. Dubey is scheduled to arrive in Islamabad on July17.
The foreign secretaries would resume their discussions in New Delhi a fortnight after the round in the Pakistan capital.
While no formal agenda has been fixed for the meeting, reports here indicated that Tanvir Ahmad Khan was in touch with his Indian counterpart to finalize the broad spectrum of issues to be taken up during the discussions.
Official circles here say the” ‘core issues” of Kashmir and redeployment of forces was bound to figure prominently during the discussions,
New Delhi has firmly stated that Kashmir is an integral part of India and Pakistan had no right to interfere in its internal affairs.
The foreign office spokesman discounted media reports that Bhutto’s proposed trip to Muslim countries later this month might be dropped.
He said Bhutto would visit Iraq, Kuwait, Morocco, Algeria, Qatar and Bahrain. The trip to Oman and U A E would be rescheduled since the rulers of these countries would be out during July, he said.
This would be a second attempt by Bhutto to garner the support of influential Muslim states to support Pakistan’s stand on Kashmir. Her first tour was of eight Middle East and African countries in May. The spokesman said Pakistan was expecting a resolution on the Kashmir issue in the forthcoming Islamic foreign ministers’ conference in Cairo beginning on July 28.
The spokesman denied press reports that Pakistan was trying to acquire Soviet arms through a third party.
Meanwhile, Pakistani leaders continue to discuss the Kashmir issue with all visiting foreign dignitaries.
President Ghulam Ishaq Khan told U.S. senator Alan Cranston at a meeting here that durable peace would return to Kashmir only when the “core” problem of the right of self-determination was addressed.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 13, 1990
