Owing to India’s opposition, Pakistan and its archrival state have failed to reach any understanding on new nuclear confidence-building measures, including the pre-notification of cruise missiles tests, before the two countries’ foreign ministers meet for talks on July 27 (Wednesday) in New Delhi, but the two nuclear-armed neighbours have agreed to announce a vital agreement on launching a “Skardu-Kargil bus service” and other fresh Kashmir-specific confidence-building measures at the end of the ministerial talks.
Before the foreign ministers’ meeting in the Indian capital, both sides were supposed to hold talks at the level of experts in the field of nuclear disarmament, the way experts on Kashmir-specific measures met recently. However, the meeting on new nuclear confidence-building measures could not take place because of the lack of interest shown by New Delhi. Pakistan and India already have an agreement on pre-notification of ballistic missile tests.
Islamabad came up with a new proposal recently to include the notification of cruise missile tests in that agreement as well and both sides had agreed to hold the meeting of experts before Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar’s meeting with her Indian counterpart SM Krishna in New Delhi. In case of an understanding between the experts, these new nuclear confidence-building measures were supposed to be announced at the end of the foreign ministers’ meeting.
Another proposal by the Pakistani side in the nuclear field was the exchange of information and expertise on peaceful use of nuclear technology. “India is not keen to include the tests of cruise missiles in the advance notification agreement and the same is the case with the proposal on exchange of information on peaceful use of nuclear technology,” said a Pakistani diplomat here who asked not to be identified by name.
INTERNATIONAL TREATMENT: “Our nuclear neighbour feels that Pakistan wants to discuss nuclear safety issues and have an agreement with New Delhi on new CBMs out of a well thought strategy to acquire treatment at par with India at the international level in the nuclear arena,” said the diplomat. Hence, he said there was no meeting of experts, no vetting of nuclear CBMs and no announcement about any agreement in this regard.
He said Islamabad and New Delhi, however, would come up with a vital pact on new Kashmir-related CBMs such as launching the Skardu-Kargil bus service and increasing the frequency of trading days and transport across the Line of Control. Another Pakistani official said on condition of anonymity that apart from the CBMs, the two sides had been engaged in intense negotiations to reach an agreement on liberalising the visa regime.
“The important agreement is also likely to be made during the meeting between the foreign ministers and announced at the end of their talks,” he said. He said another important aspect of the upcoming foreign ministers’ meeting was the possible inclusion of new subjects in the dialogue agenda, such as cooperation in healthcare and agriculture.
The two countries have been discussing the eight-point dialogue agenda since the commencement of the bilateral peace process back in 2004, which includes Kashmir, peace and security, Siachen, Sir Creek, Wullar Barrage and trade and commercial relations.
