DATE=10/19/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-41628
TITLE=PAK-INDIA TALKS
BYLINE=DOUGLAS BAKSHIAN
DATELINE=ISLAMABAD
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: POLITICAL ANALYSTS SAY THE PEACE TALKS BETWEEN INDIA AND
PAKISTAN, THAT ENDED SUNDAY, DID LITTLE TO EASE GLOBAL CONCERNS
ABOUT THE NUCLEAR THREAT IN SOUTH ASIA. BUT THE TWO OLD ENEMIES
ARE AT LEAST KEEPING A DIPLOMATIC CHANNEL OPEN TO RESOLVE THEIR
DIFFERENCES. CORRESPONDENT DOUGLAS BAKSHIAN REPORTS FROM OUR
ISLAMABAD BUREAU.
TEXT: THE TALKS ENDED WITH A BRIEF STATEMENT SAYING THE SIDES
HAD UNDERSCORED THEIR COMMITMENT TO REDUCE THE RISK OF CONFLICT
BY BUILDING MUTUAL CONFIDENCE IN THE NUCLEAR AND CONVENTIONAL
FIELDS.
PARVAIZ HOODBHOY, A PHYSICS PROFESSOR AT ISLAMABAD'S QUAID-I-AZAM
UNIVERSITY WHO CLOSELY MONITORS THE NUCLEAR ISSUE, SAYS THE TALKS
ARE A POSITIVE STEP EVEN IF THEY DID NOT PRODUCE IMMEDIATE
RESULTS.
// HOODBHOY ACT //
ANY KIND OF TALKS AIMED AT REDUCING TENSIONS BETWEEN
INDIA AND PAKISTAN ARE TO BE WELCOMED. HOWEVER, ONE
SHOULD NOT EXPECT TOO MUCH BECAUSE THERE IS A FIXITY
(RIGIDITY) OF POSITIONS ON BOTH SIDES.
// END ACT //
PROFESSOR HOODBHOY SAYS THE SIDES ARE STUCK IN THEIR OLD
POSITIONS ON DEFENSE MATTERS AND KASHMIR, A DISPUTED TERRITORY
OVER WHICH THEY HAVE FOUGHT TWO WARS.
HE SAYS THIS MAKES DIPLOMATIC MOVEMENT IN ANY AREA DIFFICULT.
THE SIDES WERE NOT ABLE TO AGREE ON THE SMALLEST CONFIDENCE
BUILDING MEASURES DURING THEIR TALKS. DEFENSE EXPERTS HAD
EXPECTED INDIA AND PAKISTAN WOULD REVIVE A HOTLINE BETWEEN THEIR
PRIME MINISTERS AND A SIMILAR LINK BETWEEN MILITARY HEADQUARTERS
OF EACH NATION -- BUT THIS DID NOT OCCUR.
THE NUCLEAR TESTS CONDUCTED BY INDIA AND PAKISTAN IN MAY RAISED
INTERNATIONAL CONCERNS ABOUT TENSIONS IN THE REGION. PROFESSOR
HOODBHOY AND MANY OTHER ANALYSTS FEEL THE COUNTRIES ONLY ENTERED
INTO PEACE TALKS BECAUSE THEY WERE UNDER STRONG INTERNATIONAL
PRESSURE.
// HOODBHOY ACT //
IT IS JUST THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HAS
GENERATED SUFFICIENT PRESSURE UPON BOTH THE GOVERNMENTS
SO THAT THEY HAVE COME TOGETHER AND MADE MOTIONS ABOUT
TALKING WITH EACH OTHER. THAT IS GOOD, AND I THINK THAT
POINTS TO THE USEFULNESS OF PRESSURE UPON BOTH OF THESE
GOVERNMENTS. OF COURSE PAKISTAN IS FAR MORE VULNERABLE
THAN INDIA IS, BUT INDIA TOO MUST RESPOND TO WHAT THE
REST OF THE WORLD SAYS.
// END ACT //
PROFESSOR HOODBHOY SAYS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR PROGRESS IN THE
NUCLEAR AREA. HE SAYS IF INDIA WOULD AGREE TO THE COMPREHENSIVE
TEST-BAN TREATY AND ANOTHER PACT COVERING MATERIAL USED TO MAKE
NUCLEAR WEAPONS -- PAKISTAN WOULD FOLLOW SUIT.
// HOODBHOY ACT //
PAKISTAN NOW IS IN A FAIRLY DESPERATE STATE IN ECONOMIC
TERMS. ANY MOVEMENT ON THE PART OF INDIA WOULD BE
SEIZED UPON BY THE NAWAZ SHARIF GOVERNMENT AS A POSITIVE
MOVEMENT AND PAKISTAN WOULD GO MUCH FURTHER ALONG THAT
WAY. SO I WOULD SAY THAT SHOULD INDIA AGREE NOT ONLY TO
THE C-T-B-T, BUT THE F-M-C-T (FISSILE MATERIAL TREATY),
PAKISTAN WOULD IMMEDIATELY FOLLOW SUIT.
// END ACT //
WHILE THE FOREIGN SECRETARY TALKS BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN DO
NOT RESUME UNTIL FEBRUARY, LOWER-LEVEL TALKS ARE SCHEDULED FOR
NOVEMBER ON TOPICS INCLUDING CULTURAL EXCHANGES AND ECONOMIC
COOPERATION. ANALYSTS ARE WATCHING THESE NEGOTIATIONS CLOSELY
FOR ANY MOVEMENT. THEY SAY OPENING UP TRADE BETWEEN THE
COUNTRIES WOULD BE ONE STEP TOWARD IMPROVING OVERALL RELATIONS.
(SIGNED)
NEB/RAE
19-Oct-98 7:31 AM EDT (1131 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
