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| LoC trade by Oct 21 | | Dateline New York: Manmohan Zardari vow to bring peace, defeat terrorism | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Sept 25: Heralding a new era of cooperation and relations between two parts of Jammu and Kashmir, the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zadari today formally announced agreement on trade across Line of Control through Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalakote routes.
An announcement to this effect was made in New York where Singh and Zardari had pathbreaking meeting on the sidelines of United Nations General Assembly session.
As per agreement trucks will roll across the Line of Control on October 21. The Cross-LoC trade announcement has been welcomed by almost all Kashmir based separatist and mainstream parties except Syed Ali Shah Geelani who described this as “non issue”.
Reaction in Jammu was grim where the BJP described the trade agreement as breach of national integrity and sovereignty. Many other parties said it is like succumbing to the secessionists. Congress, however, hailed the decision.
Agency reports said that in their New York meeting, Prime Minister Singh and President Zardari acknowledged that the peace process was under strain as they vowed to take dialogue forward and initiate severe actions against perpetrators of terrorism.
Unveiling a slew of measures for a "peaceful resolution and saisfactory settlement" of all bilateral issues including Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at his first meeting with the new Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari agreed that the forces that have tried to derail the peace process must be "defeated."
The two leaders came out with a joint statement agreeing that violence, hostility and terrorism have no place in the vision they share of the bilateral relationship and must be "visibly and verifiably" prevented.
In an apparent attempt to tell India that let bygones be bygones in the backdrop of rise in cross-border terrorism and ceasefire violations, Zardari reassured Singh that the Pakistan government stood by its commitments of January 6, 2004 to stamp out terrorism.
With the needle of suspicion pointing to Pakistans ISI for the bombing of he Indian Embassy in Kabul, the two leaders agreed to convene a special meeting of the Joint Anti-Terror mechanism to address mutual concerns including the Kabul attack.
The two countries agreed to commence cross-Line of Control (LoC) trade on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalakot roads on October 21,2008, open the Wagah-Attari road link to all permissible items on trade and the Khokrapar-Munabao rail route to all allowed items of trade.
The two leaders addressed the apparent lack of progress at the Foreign Secretary level talks to resolve outstanding issues saying they will schedule meetings of the Fifth round of the Composite dialogue in the next three months which will focus on "deliverables and concrete achievements."
Briefing newsmen after the nearly hour-long meeting, Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon said Prime Minister Singh was "very satisfied" at the meeting. The joint statement is a strong one in regard to the approach to be followed to deal with terrorism, he said, adding "we hope progress will be made on all (bilateral) issues.
Congratulating President Zardari on his election and the victory of democracy in Pakistan, Singh expressed the hope that this would pave the way for a "profound transformation" of the bilateral relationship so that India and Pakistan could work together on their shared objectives of peace prosperity and security.
The two leaders agreed to work for an early and full normalisation of relations between India and Pakistan on the basis of "mutual respect, peaceful co-existence and non-interference."
"Both leaders acknowledged that the peace process has been under strain in recent months. They agreed that violence, hostility and terrorism have no place in the vision they share at the bilateral relationship and must be visibly and verifiably prevented," the joint statement said.
"Severe action would be taken against any elements directing or involved in terrorist acts. President Zardari reassured Prime Minister Singh that the government of Pakistan stands by its commitments of January 6, 2004," it said. |
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