Steps To Improve India-Pakistan Relations

A meeting of the Pakistan-India Joint Working Group with regard to the travel and trade facilities across the Line of Control (LoC) was held in New Delhi on 18 July where Zahra H. Akbari, director general for South Asia at the Foreign Office, led the Pakistani delegation while Joint Secretary Y.K. Sinha led the Indian delegation. In the meeting, the Cross-LoC Travel and Trade Arrangements were examined so that their effective implementation is ensured and additional steps are taken for the provision of the cross-LoC trade and travel facilities.
Unanimity of Views
The unanimity of views between India and Pakistan for enhancing trade through the Control Line, increase in travel and confidence-building measures is appreciable. It is an indication that difference between Pakistan and India are waning and harmony is growing, which is unavoidable for establishment of peace in this region. It is, however, necessary that effort is made to give the matters agreed upon a practical shape because an agreement for the provision of travel facilities to the people of the Occupied and Azad Kashmir across the Control Line and the promotion of trade between them was also reached earlier during the era of former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and perhaps it was also implemented for some duration but this process was later suspended because of the lack of appropriate attention of the two governments and not only the little trade that was going on was suspended rather the hope of the people of the two regions to meet their relatives across the Control Line after decades also died. Therefore, it is necessary that this process is continued this time so that an atmosphere of harmony is created, which is necessary for strengthening the Pakistan-India relations. If seen attentively, such an atmosphere is also necessary for longstanding problems between the two countries. And if this process is to be advanced, this goal can be achieved by increasing the across-the-border travel facilities for people of each other.
Common Interest
New Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has told the Parliamentary Committee on National Security that progress is being made in the relations with India and if it had not been so, the India reaction after the Mumbai blasts would have not been positive. It is a welcome advancement. It is in the interest of both the countries that these contacts are not only maintained rather also enhanced. It is also necessary that care should not be ignored in this process of increasing meetings because both the countries are currently facing terrorism and any carelessness can provide the extremists an opportunity too achieve their nefarious designs.
Some care is being exercised after recent strain in relations with the US that is appropriate. Its proof is it that the Parliamentary Committee on National Security has recommended that citizens of the US and other countries are issued visas from the Foreign Office through one-window. It will be its benefit that a single authority will be authorized to issue visa and obviously will also be answerable for arrival of any disliked personality or person in Pakistan.

It is hoped that this policy of carefulness will yield good results. The Parliamentary Committee on the National Security in its meeting of Monday made some other recommendations as well that need attention e.g. the committee has sought the draft of the Establishment of National Counterterrorism Authority and Anti-Terrorism Act from the Ministry of Interior, the objective of which may be that the immediately and solid planning for checking terrorism is reviewed. The committee has recommended that the Foreign Office should strictly implement the resolutions of the Parliament. It is a good proposal because it is necessary for establishment of the supremacy of parliament in the country that whatever resolution is passed, it is implemented in its letter and spirit.
Demand of Situation
Pakistani Senator Raza Rabbani has said that keeping in view the stance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defense, the committee would prepare recommendations for the government. Appropriate proposals will emerge in this way by implementing, which the government will be able to improve the defense and foreign affairs. The committee has also stressed that Pakistan's strategic interests should be given fundamental importance in all policies. It is a fact that there should have been no need to make this recommendation because safeguarding the strategic interests of any country is the top priority of its government. Anyhow, if the committee has now called attention towards it, the monitoring of these matters is necessary. The committee has directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that talks with all countries should be held on the basis of equality and sovereignty. This directive too should be implemented because all countries and nations of the world are equal and none has supremacy on the other. Therefore, whenever talks are held or matter is agreed upon with any country, it is should be on the basis of equality.
The need for this directive has perhaps been felt because the US attitude toward Pakistan during the past many decades that Pakistan's assistance is stopped after achievement of the US objectives or sanctions are imposed on Pakistan has created an impression at the public level that the United States has supremacy over Pakistan. The adoption of the policy of equality is also needed to dispel this impression.