February 24, 1999	atimes.com

India-Pakistan India, Pakistan break the ice By Beena Sarwar LAHORE - India and Pakistan were closer to peaceSunday than they had been before carrying out a series ofrelationship-damaging nuclear tests in May last year. Winding up a historic two-day meeting in Lahore, the premiers of the twocountries pledged not only to take confidence-building measures toprevent an accidental or unauthorized use of nuclear weapons butalso to discuss the contentious Kashmir dispute. ''The ice has been broken,'' Pakistani Prime Minister NawazSharif said at a joint press conference atthe end of a symbolic overland visit by bus to Pakistan by his Indian counterpart, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. A two-page ''Lahore Declaration'' and accompanying statementread out before the start of the conference said ''thenuclearized environment adds to our responsibilities to avoid aconflict." It promised to intensify measures to resolve all issuesincluding the dispute over Kashmir. It also promised the peopleof the two countries a ''sharing of peace and stability . . . andprogress and prosperity." Vajpayee said Kashmir, which has precipitated three warsbetween the two countries after partition on religious grounds 50years ago, was being ''discussed under an accepted agenda,'' butdid not venture further. ''It is very difficult for me to say whatwill emerge." The statement, however, addressed the issue of cross-borderterrorism by committing the two countries to refrain frominterfering and intervening in each other's affairs, and it condemnedall forms of terrorism. India has for some years been accusing Pakistan ofcarrying out a ''proxy war'' by pushing armed militants over theline of actual control that divides Kashmir into parts held byeach country. Pakistan has consistently denied the charges. As Vajpayee prepared to board his bus for Pakistan, militantswent on a shooting spree in the Udhampur and Rajouri districts ofKashmir, bordering Pakistan-held territory, killing 22 people -all of them Hindus. Fielding questions on the alleged cross-border attacks, Sharifsaid the two countries have for some time been blaming each otherfor their problems. ''We need to get out this,'' he said. At a banquet he hosted for Vajpayee, Sharif said the Kashmir issue ''cannot be wished away and has to be resolved consistent with internationalobligations, justice and equity." He admitted that the nuclear tests by the two countries in Mayhad led to tension between them and had made the South Asian region more volatile. ''In this unstable environment, it is incumbent on both ourcountries to work toward restraint and stabilization in thespheres of nuclear and conventional armaments,'' Sharif said. Without peace, he added, the people of thetwo countries, among the poorest in the world, would ''remaindeprived of progress and prosperity." He noted that half a century after their common independencefrom British rule the two countries were still embroiled inunresolved disputes. ''We have been left far behind in the globalrace for self-sustained growth and development." Earlier, violent demonstrations were held in the streets on Saturday, with protesters demanding that Vajpayee leave Pakistan. Indian officials played down the incident. Speaking to reporters before Sunday's press conference,Vajpayee said the visit had ushered in a newera of improved relations between the neighbors. He wanted the two countries to exchange ''withconfidence'' information on each other's arsenals and also tospend only ''as much money on nuclear weapons as was necessary." He also called for opening up trade along the borderacross which he made his entry into Pakistan. Meanwhile, the much-talked-about Lahore-Delhi busservice has finally come to fruition. Until now, no road traffic between the two countries has beenpermitted. For ordinary people who manage to obtain visas, it has been eitherthe expensive half-hour plane journey or the tedious Lahore-Delhitrain ride with intensive customs and passport controls. Vajpayee regretted the harsh visa regime and requirements thatcitizens of the two countries report to police stations whilevisiting, and said steps were being taken to ease procedures. (Inter Press Service)

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