India has offered Pakistan full cricketing and sporting ties, the launch of a bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), a second round of talks to restore air links and overflights, technical-level discussions for resumption of the Samjhauta Express rail service and increasing the capacity of the Delhi-Lahore bus service.
India also suggested to Pakistan that a link be established between the coast guards of the two countries on the pattern of Director General of Military Operations (DGMO).
The government also proposed to Pakistan the non-arrest of fishermen within a certain band on sea, foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha said at a press conference, adding the extent of the band could be worked out through diplomatic channels.
The offer of free medical treatment was extended to a second batch of 20 children from Pakistan. Several travel proposals made today related specifically to Pakistanis living in the Sind province.
India said it would consider launching a ferry service between Mumbai and Karachi that was suspended after the 1965 war and never revived. It suggested a bus service between Khokhrapar in Rajasthan and Munabow in the Sindh province.
Munabow is right on the India-Pakistan border and has a railway line that was used during the India-Pakistan war of 1971 and has fallen into disuse since.
Former Pakistan Prime Minister M K Junejo was very keen to reestablish either a road or a rail link to help poorer Pakistanis from the Sind province to travel to India through Rajasthan instead of having to go to Lahore and travel through Punjab. However, the Army negatived the proposal at the time and is likely to do so again, experts say.
It is interesting that India has not proposed the revival of the rail link and has instead sought another road link.
The decisions, taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) this morning, were conveyed to Pakistan High Commissioner in Delhi, Aziz Ahmed Khan, by Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal shortly thereafter.
In a statement that sounded more like a threat than a request, foreign minister Yashwant Sinha said at a press conference:
