| More significantly, in a move that could change the way India and Pakistan look at Kashmir, Singh sought Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's endorsement of a proposal under which Kashmir and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir could, with support of the two countries, work out cooperative mechanisms to "maximize the gains of cooperation in solving problems of social and economic development of the region". |
| He was speaking at Amritsar before launching the Amritsar-Nankana Sahib bus service. |
| This line has been taken by those involved in the Track II talks but has never been accepted in the official circles. The PM's offer came closer than India has ever been to offering Kashmir autonomy in its relations with Pakistan-held Kashmir, but with a rider that Pakistan talks to Kashmiris on its side of the Line of Control. |
| Pakistan's reaction was cautiously optimistic. "We have seen some reports about Dr Singh's remarks. It reflects some positive sentiments," Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam told agencies in Islamabad. |
| Aslam said accepting Line of Control as a permanent border was not acceptable to Pakistan. "So a viable solution acceptable to all parties has to be found," she said. |
| This has been Pakistan's position for long but coming at a point time when it has complained to US President George Bush that India is not moving forward on Kashmir makes Islamabad rather than New Delhi appear obstructionist on Kashmir. The PM said Musharraf had taken bold steps to curb extremism and "I compliment him on that." |
| "But more needs to done in the interest of both India and Pakistan." Singh said. |
| Singh said Pakistan had been saying there could be no forward movement on other issues unless there was movement on Kashmir. Urging President Musharraf to drop this line of thinking, Singh said India was not afraid of discussing Kashmir, but a step-by-step path was necessary. |
| This, he added, involved talking to people of the two areas (Kashmir and PoK) by both the nations. Singh said while borders could not be redrawn, they could be made irrelevant. "Cooperative and consultative mechanisms" could be drawn up to address the Kashmir issue, he said. |
| Why Singh made these observations is clear. When President George Bush was in Pakistan, it appeared that he endorsed President Musharraf's complaint that India needed to take the first step in the resolution of Kashmir. Singh has taken that first step today. |
| He sweetened the mixture further. Addressing some contentious issues squarely, he said, "It is possible for us to come to a meaningful agreement on issues like Siachen, Sir Creek and Baglihar. I am convinced we can move forward if all concerned are willing to accept the ground realities, if all concerned take a long view of history and of our destiny". |
| A summit meeting between Singh and Musharraf is imminent. The question now is when and whether Singh will accept the invitation to travel to Pakistan that has been made by Musharraf twice in the last eight months. |
| Pakistan had offered India a no-war pact in 1980s and again in 2002. After Gen Musharraf took over, India rejected it on both occasions and argued that the only way to defend itself from cross-border terrorism was the threat of war. |
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