Briefing session: ‘Enhance Indo-Pak dialogue for viable solutions’

Speakers urge transparency in nuclear matters and Afghanistan’s future among other issues.

ISLAMABAD: The liberalised visa and trade regimes between Pakistan and India are a step in the right direction. But the neighbouring countries need to further improve people-to-people contact, be transparent in strategic nuclear matters and engage in a frank bilateral discussion on each country’s role in Afghanistan’s future.

These policy recommendations were the outcome of the Chaophraya Dialogue’s latest round of discussions. The dialogue, a joint India-Pakistan Track II initiative to encourage informed dialogue on Pak India relations, was held in Bangkok in December 2012. On Friday, three of Pakistan’s 11 representatives at the dialogue shared the recommendations at a debriefing session held at the Jinnah Institute (JI).

JI Vice-President Aziz Ahmad Khan said the trust and the level of confidence between the two nations will increase if people are allowed to move freely across the divide.

According to the conference statement of the dialogue, “broadened people-to-people contact is imperative to improving Indo-Pak relations.” The participants recommended further categories should be added to the annual/multi-year multiple entry visas.

Khan also emphasised the need for contact between Pakistan and India at the official military level. One of the new issues discussed during the dialogue sessions was both countries’ perception against each other in Afghanistan.

Rustam Shah Mohmand, a former ambassador, said Pakistan and India have suspicions about each other’s activities in Afghanistan. He said some of these suspicions can be overcome if both countries took part in infrastructure building in Afghanistan by establishing medical and educational facilities.

The dialogue recommendations urged Pakistan and India to work towards realising the vision of an Afghanistan as a gateway for trade and commerce between South and Central Asia. Participants suggested India and Pakistan should discuss the structure and growth of their nuclear arsenals.

Zafar Iqbal Cheema, an academic and nuclear expert, said the objective of the dialogue was to influence decisions of policymakers in both countries.

In a post-dialogue session with The Express Tribune, Khan said a reduction in the presence of forces on the borders could help prevent incidents such as the recent firings at the Line of Control.

The Chaophraya Dialogue is Track II diplomacy initiative by the Melbourne-based Australia India Institute and the Islamabad-based JI. There have been 11 rounds of dialogue under this initiative over the past four years.

As many as 11 experts each from Pakistan and India - including social activists, retired officials and members of the academia - deliberated upon opportunities and challenges to the Pak-India relations in the latest round of the dialogue.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2013.