NEW DELHI, June 22: A year after India and Pakistan signed a communique in Islamabad identifying eight issues for negotiations, including Kashmir, the dialogue is stuck. So when Prime Ministers Vajpayee and Nawaz Sharif meet on the sidelines of the SAARC summit in Colombo, scheduled from July 29-31, both sides will take the opportunity to review the impassioned differences that have kept them apart -- and spur them to look for brand new ways that junk the propaganda associated with the ``modalities of dialogue'' and discuss the fundamental differences between them. (Vajpayee has already written a letter to Sharif expressing his desire to meet him in Colombo in July, a PTI report quoting APP said).What the SAARC summit in Male did for New Delhi and Islamabad -- Prime Ministers I K Gujral and Nawaz Sharif first spelt out the eight issues there -- Colombo may well do this year. But secure in the knowledge that even the Security Council has mandated that Kashmir must be discussed bilaterally talks, NewDelhi doesn't seem to be in a hurry to respond to the latest Pakistani offer for dialogue.
``It is traditional that the two prime ministers meet on the sidelines of the SAARC summit, but it's too early to say what they will talk about,'' official sources said.
The sources said that New Delhi is so far sticking to its proposals it gave Pakistan in Dhaka, which is that the foreign secretaries discuss the first two issues in the Islamabad communique (peace and security, including confidence-building measures, and Jammu & Kashmir), while other officials deal with the other six issues. Crucially, all these discussions are to take place simultaneously.
Islamabad, in its latest offer, has said that both countries could start talking about the first two issues, while the rest are dealt at a later period. But New Delhi is not about to accept any proposal since that would mean exclusive focus on Kashmir, and is therefore keen that the ``simultaneous'' aspect of discussions is maintained.
``If we agree to talkonly on Kashmir, the Pakistanis will not let the dialogue proceed, the international community will say the talks have broken down and Islamabad will get a handle to cry even louder about third-party mediation,'' the sources felt.
That is why, the sources added, India's focus has been to let all eight issues take place simultaneously, so that one issue cannot be held hostage to another. But New Delhi is also aware, that in the current climate, it will be far more difficult for Pakistan to accept any dialogue that does not involve Kashmir. ``Domestic opinion in Pakistan will not allow that to happen. Nawaz Sharif can only do that at his own peril,'' the sources felt.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
