Manmohan-Gilani Summit: Opening New Chapter in Bilateral Ties

India and Pakistan have talked about writing 'a new chapter' in their accident-prone ties, with Islamabad assuring New Delhi that the terrorists behind the Mumbai carnage, that virtually froze relations between the neighbors, will be brought to justice soon.
In a sign of the new spirit of mutual accommodation, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani agreed to open a new chapter in ties and hoped the next round of talks will be 'more productive and constructive'.
Meeting on the sidelines of the 17th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in Addu (the Maldives), the two leaders held delegation-level talks for around half an hour in a seaside beach cottage at the idyllic Shangri La resort hotel and followed it up with nearly 45 minutes of one-on-one talks.
In addition to resolving to candidly discuss all outstanding issues, ranging from Jammu & Kashmir to Sir Creek, the Prime Ministers focused on terrorism and trade. The two leaders agreed that the measures to facilitate trade and travel across the Line of Control, decided upon by the Foreign Ministers in their July meeting, should be implemented expeditiously. Both Prime Ministers urged a greater degree of openness in discussing all issues of discord during the next round of line Ministry-level talks.
Terrorism Menace
With relations having languished since the cataclysmic 26/11 terror attacks nearly three years ago, the two sided agreed to push a host of initiatives, including the revival of the joint commission, a preferential trade agreement and liberal visa regime.
The Indian prime minister conveyed to his Pakistani counterpart that both countries have an obligation to ensure that terrorism does not spoil relations between them and pressed for justice for 26/11 victims.
Terrorism is a perennial concern. We have an obligation to ensure that it does not spoil relations between the two countries," Manmohan conveyed to Gilani during talks.
Singh told Gilani that "it is imperative to bring the perpetrators of 26/11 attacks to justice." The two leaders agreed that terrorism posed the most serious threat to peace and stability in the region."
Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar discussed trade and terrorism issues with a view to broadening the two countries’ engagement.
The two ministers informally indicated to the media that the atmosphere was positive. Krishna is learnt to have stressed the need for Pakistan to deal effectively with those responsible for mounting the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai, and not allow its soil to be used by terrorists targeting India.

MFN Status
India announced a trade-related confidence-building measure to match Pakistan according the Most Favored Nation (MFN) status to India. Ms Khar indicated Pakistan would soon finalize its decision to offer India the “MFN” trading status as a means to widen the engagement process.
Earlier on 2 November, Pakistan decided to grant MFN status to India, 15 years after New Delhi accorded it the same level of treatment.
MFN is a level of treatment accorded by countries interested in increasing trade with each other. Countries achieving MFN are given trade advantages such as reduced tariffs on imported goods. Special consideration is given to countries classified as "developing" by the World Trade Organization (WTO), which also enforces the status.
Pakistan has already bestowed MFN status on over 100 countries, including its all-weather friend China, but had been hesitant to do so in the case of India because of the fear that Indian exporters may flood Pakistani markets with their merchandise once normal trade is allowed.
Formal trade between India and Pakistan averages $ 2.5 billion annually, it is the informal route through the trading centers of Singapore and Dubai that is bigger and is estimated to be around $ 3.5 billion. Now Pakistan has granted India MFN status, formal trade may shoot up to $ 6 billion. Pakistan’s Planning Commission estimates that trade will to grow to $ 10 billion soon once MFN status is given to India. Freeing up many trading items could see the two countries making value additions to each other products.
Preferential Trade Agreement
India has decided to move toward a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with Pakistan as both sides agreed to put in place a liberalized visa regime soon.
The decision to move towards a Preferential Trade Agreement with Pakistan under the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) that will lead to zero customs duty on all traded goods by 2016 came during Singh-Gilani meeting. The two leaders also agreed that bilateral trade will be conducted on Most Favored Nation basis.Both leaders decided to put in place a liberalized visa regime that is being negotiated at the earliest and revive the Indo-Pak Joint Commission that has not been in operation since 2005. The SAFTA is an agreement reached in the 2004 SAARC summit in Islamabad which created a free trade area of 1.8 billion people in Bangladesh, India, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Beginning of New Era in India-Pakistan Cooperation

Although nothing substantive came out of the talks between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan, S.M. Krishna, and Hina Rabbani Khar respectively, the talks were held in a cordial atmosphere and both resolved to keep the process of dialogue alive to find solutions to various issues including terrorism.
Positive Aspect
The positive aspect of the talks held in New Delhi, is that both countries have come to realize that none of them is to gain anything by following the policy of confrontation and by making provocative speeches. Both countries are the nuclear powers in South Asia. There is urgent need that the two countries bury past bitterness and tensions and move together to improve mutual ties, to turn the region into a haven of peace and amity ensuring development and prosperity for their peoples.
Leaving behind the bitterness of the meeting held in Islamabad last July, the foreign ministers of the two countries had positive and useful talks, and resolved to carry the process further. Addressing a joint press conference after their talks, they said that terrorism today poses the greatest challenge to both countries and there is dire need of dealing with it together. Both agreed that all pending issues and disputes can be resolved through the process of dialogue only. They recognized the need of mutual cooperation, coordination and confidence building measures to improve their relations. The two ministers succeeded in putting earlier differences and disputes aside and agreed to enlarge the scope of bilateral tourism and trade. Perhaps, because of this attitude, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, later commented that the mist that had engulfed their relations has cleared.
Toward Strength and Stability
The foreign minister of Pakistan said that the relations between the two countries have entered a new era. Since there is a change in the mind set of the peoples of the two countries, it would be easier to carry the relations in the right direction. She asserted that it was her sincere desire that the process of dialogue should continue without any hindrance. People in official circles too feel that the relations would now smoothly move toward strength and stability. In his meeting with the foreign minister of Pakistan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that we would have to strive hard to bring our relations on an even keel. Hina Rabbani Khar informed the prime minister that the new generation in Pakistan is desirous of having better relations with India.
The picture that emerged from the talks of the two foreign ministers and the joint press conference is that Pakistan has now come to realize the futility of confrontation with India because of its strained relations with the United States. It feels that instead of looking toward others for getting their issues resolved, it would be in the fitness of things to hold talks with India to find solution to all outstanding issues.

New Drive for India-Pakistan Peace

In the subcontinent, India and Pakistan have conveniently remained rivals. Deriving benefit of their skirmishes, international lobbies filled up their coffers. There are countries who consider India-Pakistan cordial relations a threat to them. Simultaneously, there are countries who consider their friendship the guarantee of stability.
Global analysts know very well that their enmity can prove deadly as they both are nuclear powers. In both countries there are elements who are trying instigation through communalism. In both the regions there are separatist elements. Pakistani fundamentalists try to find reason for jihad (crusade) against India, calling it as Kufristan (the land of nonbelievers). Whereas, Hindu fundamentalists still do not recognize the existence of Pakistan. Both the ideologies are negative and dangerous and not supported by the prudish.
US Approach and Role
Continued US defeat in Afghanistan forces it to meddle for peace between India and Pakistan. I think it is a good effort on the part of the United States which should be supported. It is heartening that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from the very beginning has been trying to create good relations. His steps are courageous. He is a man of open heart and feels the pain created by the enmity. He has seen such circumstances at close quarters which created unending process of problems and disasters. Pakistan has fast been going on the path of regression. Its militant religious groups are devastating its economic fabric. Pakistani rulers have realized that the support for extremism is fatal for them.
Adopting Positive Approaches
The arrival of Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar should be viewed in this perspective. The meeting between the external affairs ministers was result oriented. Both adopted positive approaches that may be fruitful in the future. Six-month multiple visa for traders living at the Line of Control and making two-day trading to four days are of vital importance. The fixation of external affairs ministers' meeting is also a good sign. India's demand to give it a special status of trading country is a prudish idea.
I think Manmohan Singh should take interest in this direction and promote business between the countries. There are several items in the Indian market which Pakistan requires and several things are there which India requires. Recently, during scarcity of onion, lentil, and sugar, India had to import from Pakistan. We should create the sentiments of Samaritans in the hour of need. Facilities should be given for transportation. It is hoped that the group in power of Pakistan will realize the pains of the people and by forgetting the bitterness of the past should work for a bright future with sincerity.

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.