News 14 Feb 13 JOURNALISTS' CONFERENCE HAMMERS OUT SOLUTIONS TO INDO-PAK CONFLICT

JOURNALISTS' CONFERENCE HAMMERS OUT SOLUTIONS TO INDO-PAK CONFLICT

India and Pakistan need fresh ideas   for   solutions   to festering wounds of history, analysts stressed at a two-day conference as part of The Times of India and Pakistan's Jang group's Aman ki Asha initiative in second week of December, 2012. The analysts called on the two countries to move forward on areas of synergy than being stuck on disputes.

Core Areas of Dispute

Experts from both sides, including retired diplomats and former generals, discussed ways to move forward on core areas of dispute—Sir Creek, Siachen and Kashmir. On Sir Creek, retired officials, who have formerly been key interlocutors for both the sides, came up with a road map for solving the dispute. The experts pointed out that a joint survey carried out in 2007 was 'a very successful effort in coordination and working at the professional level'.

Sir Creek.

They agreed that Sir Creek was 'not an intractable dispute'. While spelling out a step-by-step approach to its resolution, they urged the two governments to create a maritime park, or a zone of disengagement where fishermen from both sides can freely fish to paper over areas where they fail to find agreeable borders.

Siachen

On Siachen, a sub-committee drew up a detailed road map that they said was 'doable'. They said both sides should agree to withdraw from the conflict area "While retaining the option of punitive action should the other side renege on the commitments"

They called for the setting up of a joint civilian commission to delineate the line beyond NJ 9842, the northern point of the Line of Control and beyond which is Siachen. They suggested that the two sides could agree to disengagement and demilitarization according to a time frame and establishment of a joint scientific centre to study environmental issues. They also called for joint management of the demilitarized zone.

Kashmir

The session on Kashmir saw the complex realities of history and bitterness of the past boiling over, with stark difference of opinion marking the consultations. However, with the understanding to move forward to find a solution, the participants called for an in depth Kashmir conference to discuss all its socio-political and economic aspects. Participants of the conference should  be  from  civil society  of  India,  Pakistan  and Kashmir, they agreed, "Ideally, this conference will be held in Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, with the inaugural session in one city and concluding in the other," a joint statement said. Participating in a televised discussion in the concluding part, eminent personalities from both sides agreed that the two countries need to find common ground to move forward than wait for thorny issues to be resolved.

Former foreign secretary Shyarn Saran said India and Pakistan need to draw lessons from the experience of South-East Asia and other regions of the world where economics has trumped historic divides and free trade regions have brought countries together. Former cabinet secretary Naresh Chandra echoed Saran, while calling for a new approach.

Former Pakistan high commissioner to India Shahid Malik said both sides need to move faster on the outstanding issues, while agreeing with the argument that the two countries cannot make their people hostages to disputes.