Pakistan Army on board peace talks: Singh

[Devil Soul]

Pakistan Army on board peace talks: Singh
Published: November 13, 2011
Two days after he and his Pakistani counterpart resolved to write a ‘new chapter’ in relations between their countries, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday that Pakistan’s powerful military was fully on board in carrying forward the peace process, reports The Economic Times.
“I did discuss with Prime Minister Gilani whether the Pakistan Army is fully on board to carry forward the peace process. The sense I got was that after a long time, Pakistan’s armed forces are fully on board,” Singh told media persons on board Air India One while flying back home from the Maldives.
Premier Singh met with his Pakistani counterpart on the sidelines of the Saarc summit in the Maldivian city of Addu.
‘Man of Peace’
Singh’s description of Prime Minister Gilani as a ‘man of peace’ invited the wrath of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.
Reacting to BJP’s criticism, Singh said: “I have met Prime Minister Gilani four to five times. He agreed with me that there is no way but to find a peaceful resolution of all outstanding issues.”
“I, therefore, believe that Pakistan has a democratic government and we will like to strengthen the hands of democratic government,” he said. “In Gilani, we have a prime minister who we can work with.”
The BJP has also accused the Indian premier of going soft on “terror emanating from Pakistan” barely days before the third anniversary of 26/11 attack. But Singh said that he has made it clear (to Gilani) that if another ‘barbarous’ Mumbai attack were to happen, it will be a ‘setback’.
New Delhi had called off a slow-moving peace process with Islamabad following attacks on Mumbai’s landmarks by gunmen on November 26, 2008, blaming them on Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
But relations have improved since as both sides have resumed the stalled peace process. In the Maldives meeting they struck an upbeat note pledging to write a “new chapter” in relations between their countries and hoped that the next round of the dialogue would be more result-oriented.
Singh also said that his decision to resume the peace process with Pakistan was not individual-centric. “Our approach to Pakistan is trust but verify. We are not putting blind faith in one individual. I do hope it will genuinely lead to the normalisation of relations,” he said.
Pointing out that Pakistan-India relations are ‘subject to accidents,’ Singh took positive note of the decision of Pakistan to grant the Most Favoured Nation status to India and stressed on encouraging development in areas like trade and the willingness of Islamabad to discuss all issues, including that of terror.
“I told him (Gilani) that terror as an instrument of state policy has no takers in the world and it has given rise to Pakistani terrorism. Terror has to be dealt with firmly,” he said. “In these areas (trade and terror), it is possible to find the way forward.”
“Trade and economic relationship is one area where progress is possible,” he added. “The thinking people in Pakistan realise that trade is a win-win situation.”
Published in The Express Tribune, November 13th, 2011.

 

[Ark-Angel]

Let's hope for peace but both of the nations have to work for peace, especially India. A free and fair Referendum must be held in Indian Occupied Kashmir and India should stop building dams (the illegal one's). Pakistan should keep on "doing more" against Terrorists but Indian must not get over-involved in Afghanistan.

 

[Meengla]

Let's hope for peace but both of the nations have to work for peace, especially India. A free and fair Referendum must be held in Indian Occupied Kashmir and India should stop building dams (the illegal one's). Pakistan should keep on "doing more" against Terrorists but Indian must not get over-involved in Afghanistan.

Pakistan and India should concentrate on making the lives of Kashmiris better, whether they are in India or Pakistan. In time, peace and prosperity will truly make the LoC 'irrelevant'. Pakistan has already either completely stopped or significantly stopped providing artillery cover to people crossing into Indian part of Kashmir since about 2004. The hot-war has ended there. Both military know this. There is no going back.
But, yes, water-issues are true red-lines. But I still believe there is enough war available, through rains and rivers, and reduced-spending on defense should be used to line up canals, build dams and desalination plants. The floods of last two years in Pakistan is but one proof of that.
But, yes, India needs to forget about piggy-backing on NATO to encircle Pakistan through Afghanistan. Pakistan can easily re-open the tap of infiltration into Kashmir to pay back. Let's not go back to that.
Since the OBL-raid almost all segments of Pakistani society are much more prone to making peace with India. Americans are seen as the biggest threat. So there is an opening for peace. I think we have a good 'peace partner' in PM Singh; if only he were allowed some political space. But Pakistan is ready. Fully onboard.

 

[OrionHunter]

Let's hope for peace but both of the nations have to work for peace, especially India.

Totally agree. Wars have achieved nothing except increasing misery.

A free and fair Referendum must be held in Indian Occupied Kashmir

That's easier said than done. Firstly, Resolution 47 was passed by the United Nations Security Council under chapter VI of UN Charter. Resolutions passed under Chapter VI of UN charter are considered non binding and have no mandatory enforceability.

Secondly, it recommends to the Governments of India and Pakistan the following measures as those which in the opinion of the Council and appropriate to bring about a cessation of the fighting and to create proper conditions for a free and impartial plebiscite to decide whether the State of Jammu and Kashmir is to accede to India or Pakistan.

The Government of Pakistan should undertake:

To secure the withdrawal from the State of Jammu and Kashmir of tribesmen and Pakistani nationals not normally resident therein who have entered the State for the purposes of fighting, and to prevent any intrusion into the State of such elements and any furnishing of material aid to those fighting in the State.

Well, Pakistan has yet to comply with this undertaking and thus a plebiscite could not be held. It was a non starter.

Pakistan should keep on "doing more" against Terrorists but Indian must not get over-involved in Afghanistan.

Right! Pakistan is apprehensive of a future Indo-Afghan military 'threat', sandwiching it from the East and West. And thus Pakistan's so called 'Strategic Depth' doctrine. India should scale down its presence in Afghanistan and shut its consulates in Jalalabad and Kandahar as a confidence building measure. It should shift focus to developing Afghanistan's infrastructure only.

But at the same time Pakistan must ensure it shuts down its militant training camps in Pakistan Administered Kashmir. After all, it takes two to tango!

Where there is a will there is a way. Let's hope for peace, Inshallah.

Cheers!


http://www.kashmiri-cc.ca/un/sc21apr48.htm