NEW DELHI: While India is keen on discussing all bilateral issues with Pakistan including the Kashmir problem, it firmly believes there is no hope of holding the process of self-determination there as proposed by the neighbor.

The Indian side is believed to have conveyed to the visiting Pakistani delegation at the foreign secretary-level talks which concluded here, that the approach to the Kashmir problem should be a practical and meaningful one,

New Delhi will convey an “appropriate response” to the suggestion made by the Pakistan Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, that the Kashmir issue be discussed under Article VI of the Shimla agreement.

At the same time Khan sought to give the impression that India shared Pakistan’s view of according priority to solving the Kashmir issue.

Though he admitted perceptions differ widely, Khan said “the fact that we have agreed on the need to address the issue is in itself a positive step forward.”

Pakistan’s bottom line, Khan said was that the process of self-determination should be carried out within the framework of the United Nations resolutions.

The two sides signed an agreement on a code of conduct for treatment of diplomats and a joint declaration on prohibition of chemical weapons and agreed on a schedule of meetings to discuss Siachen, the Sir Creek | Maritime boundary and combating drug-trafficking and smuggling.

India also formally invited the Pakistan chief of army staff to visit India.

According to the agreed statement issued here after the talks, the discussions covered the “whole range of bilateral issues. The two sides also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.”

The two foreign secretaries exchanged the instruments of ratification of the agreement on the prevention of air space violations by military aircraft and the agreement on advance notice of military exercises, Manoeuvres and troop movements which were signed here in April 1991 and subsequently ratified by both the governments,

The Indian side has sought to impress upon the Pakistani side that the discussions should be meaningful. In case of differing perceptions the endeavor should be to build an atmosphere free of mutual recrimination and one which was conducive to the resolution of long pending issues.

“We have to be realistic in the assessment of the talks,” the spokesman observed. Asked if there would be separate discussions on Kashmir, Rescues   cannot predict.”

India has maintained that it was possible to isolate individual articles of the Shimla agreement.

Khan said Pakistan was not a piece of cake that could be distributed. The Kashmir people had the inalienable right to self-determination which had never been exercised.

Asked if Pakistan supported the option of an independent and unified Kashmir, Khan said this issue could only come up after the Kashmiri people were given freedom to exercise their right to self-determination. He stressed that early resolution of the Kashmir issue would pave the way for settling subsidiary bilateral problems. He denied charges that Pakistan was engaged in government sponsored terrorism in Punjab and Kashmir.

Article extracted from this publication >> September 4, 1992