|
Pakistan, India to Start Historic Cross-Kashmir Bus Service |
|
|
Thursday, 17 February 2005Pakistan and Indian have agreed to start the first-ever bus service between the capitals of divided Kashmir, which will reconnect families separated for decades and raises hope that the two nuclear-armed countries might one day find permament peace.
The service will start April 7, a concrete result of more than a year of peace talks, announced by the two sides following talks between their foreign ministers in Islamabad.
"We have come a long way over the past year or so. I'm convinced that cooperation between our two countries is not just a desire and an objective, it is in today's context an imperative," Indian External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh said. "The people of both countries clearly desire it."
The buses will travel along a rutted mountain road in the folds of the Himalayas linking Muzzafarabad on the Pakistani side with Srinigar on the Indian side.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Khursheed Kasuri said Wednesday that travel would be granted through an "entry permit system" - rather than a passport - once the identities of travelers are verified.
On Pakistan's side of the region, residents had mixed reactions, with some warning it was merely window-dressing, and others seeing progress.
"Now I will travel to the Indian portion of Kashmir to see my relatives," said Khalid Dar. "I never imagined the two countries could reach such a decision ... I will travel on the first available bus to Srinagar."
The bus deal has been in the works for months, and its consummation was the most tangible success from more than 14 months of peace talks that have seemed stalled at times.
Singh's visit this week is the first bilateral trip by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan since 1989 and is part of a dialogue to end 57 years of hatred between the South Asian neighbors.
India and Pakistan have fought three wars since gaining indepedence from Britain in 1947. Kashmir has been at the root of two of them. Both sides claim the region in its entirety.
More than 66,000 people have died since an Islamic insurgency began about 15 years ago, many at the hands of Indian troops. New Delhi accuses Pakistan of funding and training the rebels. Islamabad insists it gives only moral and political support.
While speaking positively of the future, Singh also cautioned that any progress could only be achieved if attacks are curtailed.
An independence leader in India's portion of Kashmir, Javed Mir, praised the accord and said he hoped it would lead to a wider peace deal.
"The problem is so complex that it cannot be solved in one go, but such meaningful steps will help," said Mir, leader of the Jammu-Kashmir Liberation Forum, which has been fighting for Kashmir's independence.
Also on the agenda in the Islamabad talks were discussions about a US$3 billion, 2,575-kilometer (1,600-mile) gas pipeline from Iran which has been delayed for years, mainly because of Indian security concerns over running the pipeline through Pakistani territory. |
Thursday, 17 February 2005
Associated Press via Jerusalem Post
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
