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| Siachen issue remains unresolved | | Another back channel Indo-Pak meeting fails | | B L KAK
NEW DELHI, NOV. 5: Secret talks on the Siachen dispute between India and Pakistan have failed. Also, there is no agreement so far between New Delhi on a date for the visit by Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, to Pakistan. Pakistan's National Security Council Secretary, Tariq Aziz, who held parleys with his Indian counterpart, SK Lamba, in a Gulf country, has returned to Islamabad with no settlement forumla.
In plain language, the secret talks, according to diplomatic sources, did not yield any deal on Siachen, apparently because of stiff resistance within the security establishment in India. These sources told EARLY TIMES that Pakistani Foreign Minister, Khurshid Mehmod Kasuri's recent statement that both countries were close to inking the accord, enabling the Indian Prime Minister to undertake his long-awaited trip to Pakistan, had backfired and evoked negative response from the security establishment in New Delhi and had forced the government of India to review its stance.
Tariq Aziz brought his Foreign Minister Kasuri on board and briefed him on Friday (November 3) about his recently concluded 'back-channel' talks with SK Lamba. On the other hand, Pakistani Foreign Secretary, Riaz Muhammad Khan, has been reported to be making hectic preparations for his delayed visit to New Delhi towards the end of next week. Hopes are pinned on his visit for restoration of the composite dialogue process stalled by India in July after the Mumbai train blasts.
Kasuri, who is scheduled to visit New Delhi soon after Riaz Khan's return to Islamabad from there, had shown optimism on an agreement on the Siachen issue. The optimism was brushed aside by New Delhi promptly. But according to a set of observers, Pakistan Foreign Minister's hopes are not out of place, rather a bit 'premature' as no breakthrough on the Siachen issue is in sight.
India's High Commissioner-designate to Pakistan, Satyabrata Pal, who is in Islamabad, is expected to present his credentials to President, Gen. Parvez Musharraf, next month. He will return to New Delhi next week to attend the concluding session of the third round of composite dialogue between the two countries. Pal has let it be known that he is no happy over the delay in presenting his credentials to President Musharaf.
Pal, a batchmate of the incumbent Secretary of External Affairs, Shiv Shankar Menon, was quoted as telling a group of Pakistani mediapersons: I would like to retire here. I am not eyeing the South Block (in New Delhi). I wiosh to see improvement in relations between the two countries during my stint in Islamabad". Responding to a question on Indo-Pak joint mechanism against terrorism, he said that it would be discussed in talks between Foreign Secretaries of the two countries. The High Commissioner-designate had no clue to an agreement on the Siachen issue.
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