India today proposed a breakthrough ``seaward approach'' by first delimiting the maritime boundary between the two countries. The proposal aims at starting at the limits of the Exclusive Economic Zone and proceeding landwards up to 50 kms of the coast. This was as per provisions of the Technical Aspects of Law of Sea of the United Nations. As with the ceasefire proposal over the Saltoro Range, Pakistan rejected this offer as well.

The joint statement issued after the completion of the talks stated that the ``discussions were held in a frank and cordial atmosphere. The two sides stated their respective positions. It was agreed to continue discussions duringthe next round of the dialogue process.'' The Surveyor General, Lt Gen AK Ahuja led the Indian delegation, while the Pakistani side was led by Rear Adm M Jameel Akhtar, an Additional Secretary in Islamabad's defence ministry.

Briefing the media after the talks, Lt Gen Ahuja declared that the ``allocation and the demarcation (of the Sir Creek area) were done vide paras 9 and 10 of the 1914 Resolution and illustrated on an accompanying map (B-44).Demarcation and administration was completed in 1925. Since then, the boundary in Sir Creek is depicted in the mid-channel by a proper boundary symbol.''

Pakistan, on the other hand, maintained that the Sir Creek was not a navigable channel and, therefore, the boundary could not be depicted as going mid-stream. This was refuted by the Chief Hydrographer to the Government of India, Rear Adm Srinivasan, who accompanied the Surveyor General during the talks. With the help of international maritime maps, which depict Sir Creek as navigable, he declared that ``thenavigability of a channel is also determined by the draught of the sea-going vessel, and fishing boats are certainly using the creek to go out to sea. Even if it navigable during high-tides, it is still a navigable channel.''

The position adopted by Pakistan was that the Green Line on Map 74, as appendixed to the 1914 Resolution, showed the boundary to be on eastern side of Sir Creek, which, therefore, should be the agreed border between the two nations. This, Lt Gen Ahuja said, was contrary to internationally accepted cartographic procedures, ``and Green Line was only a symbolic representation'' with the boundary being mid-channel as depicted in the maps as a dot-and-dash line.