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Straw in Amritsar

     Amritsar: British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw arrived here last night with plans to visit the Golden Temple and the Jallianwala Bagh on Thursday before heading for the Indian capital for two-days of talks with several Indian leaders, including External Affairs Minister K.Natwar Singh, Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Leader of the Opposition L.K.Advani. Apart from bilateral issues of mutual concern, the visiting dignitary is also expected to review the situation in neighbouring Nepal and what steps are being taken to restore multi-party democracy in the Himalayan kingdom. India as well as Britain has called its envoy in Kathmandu for consultations on the issue, and have reportedly condemned the Nepal King's action. Straw, who is on his sixth visit to India in four years, will also push forward the bilateral ties as well as trade and commerce between the two countries. "I am struck that bilateral relationship continues to build at an extraordinary pace. I look forward to renewing my friendship with Natwar Singh and to calling on Patil," Straw said.

     The visiting official will also address a group of business leaders in New Delhi at an event to be hosted by Indo-British Parliamentary forum and FICCI. "And that we have almost a million people travelling between the two countries every year speaks for itself, it is a good start but we can do more," hoped Straw. The Jallianwala Bagh was the scene of a massacre of scores of freedom fighters by British soldiers in 1919. Earlier, Britain warmly welcomed the agreement between India and Pakistan to start the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service. Hailing the new initiative between India and Pakistan, Straw hoped that the agreement would make a real difference to the lives of Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control. "I am very pleased that this bus link between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad will be able to reunite families that have been divided for decades. This will make a real difference to the lives of Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control," said Straw. "I warmly applaud the efforts of both India and Pakistan to make this happen. This spirit of cooperation will, I hope, lead to many more measures that will benefit all in the region," he added.

Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus link a 'non-issue': Geelani (Go To Top)

     Islamabad: In spite of being hailed by India and Pakistan as a big step towards bringing in more people to people contact, the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus link has not elicited much enthusiasm from the hardliners of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC). The Daily Times quoted APHC leader Syed Ali Geelani as saying that the bus link was a "non-issue". "It is not an alternative to the right to self determination of the people of the state. We have not given huge sacrifices for a bus service. For us it is a non-issue. Our struggle is for the resolution of the Kashmir issue and right to self determination," the paper quoted him as saying. The moderate leaders of the faction have nevertheless welcomed the move and termed it as a positive step towards a final and permanent solution to the 57-year-old Kashmir imbroglio. "A small and yet a significant step towards finding a final and permanent solution to the Kashmir issue has been taken by India and Pakistan," the paper quoted APHC caretaker chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq as saying. APHC leader Prof Abdul Gani Bhat said that the agreement signalled a "breakthrough" in the peace process. "We hope the two countries will move positively and productively towards a resolution of the Kashmir issue as per the wishes of the people of Jammu and Kashmir," the paper quoted Bhat as saying.

Riaz Khokhar's exit raises India's hopes (Go To Top)

     Islamabad: With Riaz Khokhar demitting the office of Pakistan's foreign secretary earlier this week, Islamabad's official tone towards India is expected to be softer, as Khokhar was largely perceived as a hawk by the establishment in New Delhi. A major shuffling of responsibilities has already taken place at the Pakistan Foreign Office following Khokhar's departure. Key officials attached to Khokhar or seen as his favourites have reportedly been replaced one by one by offering them postings outside the country. Khokhar did not have a good equation with Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri as well as Indian officials, The Nation reports reports. According to the paper, he had had a sharp exchange of words with Indian Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar during one of his visits to New Delhi, and Indian officials never hid their discomfort over Khokhar's presence in any talks with Pakistan. India termed almost all of Khokhar's team as hard nuts.

     The paper, quoting an eyewitness, said that Kasuri had talked to Aiyar in New Delhi last year in the presence of Khokhar. Aiyar, a diplomat-turned-politician minister, had succeeded in convincing Kasuri about the gas pipeline project from a third country through Pakistan in accordance with the priorities of India, but Khokhar intervened and brushed aside the proposals. Taking umbrage, Aiyar had to firmly remind Khokhar that he was talking to a minister of the host country. Khokhar, however, did not back down and turned on Aiyar and said that he too was the foreign secretary of his country. Khokhar and Mani Shankar Aiyar had served their respective foreign offices almost at the same time at various places. Kasuri had to interfere to resolve the matter. Khokhar, an old Indian hand, had dealt directly with Indian affairs from 1980 to 1997 in different capacities including as ambassador to New Delhi for five years from 1992 to 1997. But the difference in his approach led to the Pakistani government not granting him an extension of his tenure. Khokhar was very soft, but non-flexible and non-compromising when it came to Pakistan's interests. Khokhar has been replaced with two foreign secretaries ... Riaz Muhammad Khan and Sher Afgan Khan, one to look after the foreign affairs and the other to handle the administrative dealings.

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