'We Did Achieve A Degree Of Understanding'

Hon’bleMembers would recall my invitation to President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan tovisit India.

In the days and weeks before his visit, I had occasion to exchange views andperspectives – individually and collectively – with leaders of politicalparties, eminent personalities, media representatives and intellectuals, on thefuture prospects for India-Pakistan relations. 

They endorsed, almostunanimously, our view that the visit should be used to seek avenues for durablepeace and cooperative friendship with Pakistan. Building on the Shimla Agreementand the Lahore Declaration, we sought, through the invitation and the consequentvisit to strengthen the broad-based framework of dialogue, so that progresscould be made on all outstanding bilateral issues, including Jammu &Kashmir. We also identified the continuing cross-border terrorism as animportant subject to be addressed.

To promote a congenial environment and confidence building in advance of thevisit, the Government announced some significant decisions relating to peace andsecurity, nuclear and non-nuclear CBM’s, people to people contacts,humanitarian issues, education, youth exchanges and trade. We believe thesedecisions have been well received by the people of India and Pakistan. TheGovernment remains committed to implementing them.

President Musharraf, accompanied by Begum Musharraf, was in New Delhi on July14. He was accorded full ceremonial honours. He called on the President, whohosted a State banquet. The Vice-President, Home Minister, the External Affairs& Defence Minister and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha calledon him. I hosted a lunch in his honour. At the retreat in Agra on July 15 and16, President Musharraf and I had extensive one-to-one talks for over 5 hours.We also had talks at the delegation level.

During these discussions, I emphasised the importance of creating anatmosphere of trust for progress on all outstanding issues including J & K.I took up other specific issues which would help the process of peace. Theseincluded the issue of 54 POWs believed to be in Pakistani jails; the extraditionof known terrorists and criminals who have been given sanctuary in Pakistan; theup keep of Sikh Gurudwaras and Hindu temples in Pakistan, the treatment ofIndian pilgrims visiting shrines in Pakistan, and the enhancement of mutuallybeneficial trade.

I focused on the terrorism being promoted in the State of J & K. Iconveyed in clear terms that India has the resolve, strength and stamina tocounter terrorism and violence until it is decisively crushed. I want toreiterate this determination today on the floor of this House.

In his presentations, President Musharraf focussed almost exclusively onJammu & Kashmir. Honourable Members would be familiar with all his views,since they were widely disseminated in both our electronic and print media.

Despite the obvious differences in our perspectives, we made progress towardsbridging the two approaches in a draft joint document. We sought to incorporatein the document the structure of a future dialogue process on all issues,including meetings at official, Ministerial and Summit levels. We made proposalsfor addressing the issues of Peace & Security- including nuclear andconventional CBM's, Jammu & Kashmir, and terrorism; and all other issuesfrom the composite dialogue. 

Eventually, however we had to abandon the quest fora joint document mainly because of Pakistan's insistence on the `settlement' ofthe Jammu & Kashmir issue, as a precondition for the normalization ofrelations. Pakistan was also reluctant to acknowledge and address cross-borderterrorism. My Cabinet colleagues and I were unanimously of the view that ourbasic principles cannot be sacrificed for the sake of a joint document.

There are strong views both in India and in Pakistan about Jammu &Kashmir. But it is our conviction that an all-round development in therelationship between India and Pakistan will have a beneficial impact on ourdialogue on J&K.

No worthwhile purpose would be served by a debate on whether or not J&Kis a "core issue". But we cannot ignore the fact of terrorism andviolence in the state, which is exported from across the borders. We cannotaccept that the insurgency in Jammu & Kashmir today, with its foreignmercenaries and generous assistance from abroad, is anything but terrorism. 

Thedaily killing of innocent men, women and children can simply not be glorified as"Jehad" or as any kind of political movement. Please reflect that,soon after the Agra Summit had concluded, our pilgrims on their way to the holyshrine of Amarnath were killed. And just two days ago another massacre ofmembers of one community occurred at the hands of the terrorists. That is whyPakistan's refusal to end cross-border terrorism is the main hurdle in thecreation of a conducive atmosphere.

Pakistan has been seeking a solution to J&K in accordance with the wishesof the "Kashmiri people". I am certain that the primary wish of everysingle Kashmiri, whether from the Kashmir valley or Jammu, Ladakh,Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the Northern territories or the Shaksgram Valley, isto live in peace, security and freedom, so that he can make economic progress. 

We should constantly strive to provide him with this fundamental right. Most ofthe Kashmiris have their elected representatives, through whom they expresstheir legitimate aspirations. We are also willing to listen to all other streamsof Kashmiri opinion, however small the minority they represent, as long as theyabjure violence. It is in this spirit that we had offered to talk to therepresentatives of the All Parties' Hurriyat Conference.

President Musharraf has extended an invitation to me to visit Pakistan. Ihave accepted this invitation. The Foreign Minister of Pakistan has similarlyinvited the External Affairs Minister. This, too, has been accepted. Thus, ourbilateral engagement with Pakistan will continue. We will continue to seekdialogue and reconciliation. We will persist with our efforts to convincePakistan that our bilateral cooperation should not be held hostage to theresolution of any one issue. 

Though we could not conclude a joint document inAgra, we did achieve a degree of understanding. We will build on this to furtherincrease the areas of agreement. Obviously, India's concerns in vital cases-such as cross-border terrorism- will have to find place in any document thatfuture negotiations endeavour to conclude.

Let me add- we are not looking for propaganda advantage or seeking to scoredebating points. We will engage in quiet, serious diplomacy. Our endeavour for arelationship of peace, friendship and cooperation will be pursued vigorously.