Pak, India break diplomatic ice
Nuke safety accord likely after ‘constructive talks’ on Kashmir

ISLAMABAD—For Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir will be the key issue at the foreign secretary-level talks with India with emphasis on building on convergences already achieved on this front, however, a vital agreement in the area of peace and security is also on the cards, official sources said Tuesday.
“We are very clear that Kashmir will remain the central issue during the talks and the effort will be to build on the convergences,” a senior official in Pakistani Foreign Ministry said about the likely focus of two-day discussions beginning in New Delhi tomorrow.
“A vital agreement in the area of peace and security is on the cards. The accord will be on reducing risk of nuclear accidents,” the official said. A draft agreement on reducing risk of nuclear accidents or unauthorised use of nuclear weapons has been under discussion between the two countries since August 2005.
At the last round of expert-level talks on nuclear confidence building measures (CBMs) in Islamabad in April this year, the two sides came close to reaching an understanding but due to some reservations by Pakistan it could not be firmed up.
Apparently, Pakistan has now accepted the amendment made in the draft by India. A draft agreement on prevention of incidents at sea proposed by Pakistan at the last round to which India had agreed will also be discussed.
Agreements on modalities of holding flag meetings between sector-level commanders at the Line of Control and speedy repatriation of inadvertent border crossers are also in the offing. The two sides will try to narrow down differences on Sir Creek and Siachen, officials said.
The issue of prisoners, trade matters, including a trans-Kashmir truck service, reopening of consulates in Mumbai and Karachi and visa regime would also figure in discussions. There are strong indications from both sides that modalities of the joint anti-terror institutional mechanism that President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh decided to put in place during their Havana meeting in September would be firmed up.
India and Pakistan on Tuesday discussed Kashmir, peace and security, trade, CBMs, counter terrorism efforts and prisoner problem on the first day of Foreign Secretary level talks. The talks were held in a very positive atmosphere, Foreign Office spokesperson and Director General (UN) Tasnim Aslam told APP Special Correspondent here after Tuesday’s session of the parleys.
Pakistan’s delegation was led by Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan while leading Indian side, Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon represented his country at the parleys.
Both sides agreed to streamline the procedure so that the prisoners who have completed their sentences should go back to their country of origin as early as possible, she said.
The two sides also agreed on a system for the prisoners held for minor infringements so that they can be released sans prolonging their sufferings and miseries, she added.—Agencies