India, Pak end Kashmir talks on positive note

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:=""><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script></span></div> <div align="left" style="position:relative; left: 0"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="1" width="31.2%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><#img src="756177-open/images/756184.jpg" alt="756177-open/images/756184.jpg" border="0" /></div> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Indian Foreign Secretary Shashank (L) with Riaz Khokhar</span></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan Monday ended two-day crucial Foreign Secretary level talks on peace and security and Jammu and Kashmir on a "positive" note and made "forward movement" on a number of confidence-building measures.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Talks were "positive and outcome is concrete," External Affairs Minsiter K Natwar Singh said after a meeting with Pakistan Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar and his Indian counterpart Shashank.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">"They have identified areas of future work," he told reporters adding he had encouraged them to carry on their efforts.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Khokhar and Shashank called on Singh after concluding their two days of discussions mainly focussing on peace and security, Jammu and Kashmir and confidence building measures.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Singh said both foreign secretaries had briefed him about their discussions.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Khokhar who also called on National Security Advisor J N Dixit, said he was satisfied with the talks.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">A string of steps is expected to be announced to build trust, including more transport links, increasing the size of diplomatic missions, release of prisoners and fishermen in each other''s custody.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">Next Page: </span><a href="/articleshow/msid-756177,curpg-2.cms" style="" font-face:arialfont-size:10ptfont-weight:boldcolor:0066cc="">Talks ended early due to Jamali’s resignation</a><br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">The two sides are also likely to chart a calendar of future meetings to tackle a range of other issues that plague bilateral ties including a military standoff on the Siachen Glacier, the world''s highest battleground.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">The talks ended early to allow Pakistan''s Khokhar to return home a day early, reportedly due to domestic developments arising out of the resignation of Pakistan Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali on Saturday.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Jamali''s resignation was not expected to have any impact as Pakistan President Gen Pervez Musharraf is seen to be in direct control of foreign policy.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">Next Page: </span><a href="/articleshow/msid-756177,curpg-3.cms" style="" font-face:arialfont-size:10ptfont-weight:boldcolor:0066cc="">The road Ahead</a><br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section3"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">The Indian and Pak foreign ministers are due to meet on the sidelines of a regional conference in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, in July and also hold bilateral talks in August.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">"Experts from both the countries will extensively meet next month to prepare for the meeting of the two foreign ministers," a Pakistani official, who wished not to be named, told Reuters.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">The talks between Shashank and Khokhar are part of a renewed bid for peace launched by the two countries last year after they came close to a third war in 2002 after an attack on Indian Parliament in December 2001, allegedly by Pak backed terrorists.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Analysts say the two-day talks will not produce a quick fix to the dispute but will give New Delhi and Islamabad an opportunity to understand each other''s stance and move forward.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">"It is like two porcupines getting to know each other. They should try to ensure the quills do not get in the way," Uday Bhaskar of New Delhi''s Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses said.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">"It would be a mistake to expect a breakthrough in one set of talks on Kashmir. This is not one-day cricket. This is about two states that have fought wars over Kashmir," Bhaskar added.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">India, which rules 45 percent of Kashmir, considers the whole of the Muslim-majority region an integral part of its territory. Pakistan, which holds a third of Kashmir, has traditionally sought the implementation of UN resolutions for a plebiscite to decide whether it should be folded into India or Pakistan.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Musharraf said in December that Pakistan was prepared to consider a compromise.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">India accuses Pakistan of arming and training terrorists for strikes in India which have killed more than 40,000 people in the state. </span></div> </div>