India, Pakistan to increase staff at missions

Normalisation of relations between India and Pakistan inched forward as Islamabad agreed to New Delhi's proposal to increase the staff strength of the Indian and Pakistan missions in the two capital cities from the present 47 to 55.

India also said it had given its consent to Pakistan's request for its experts to inspect the Baglihar hydro electric plant in Kashmir.

Indian High Commissioner to Islamabad Shivshankar Menon said Pakistan formally conveyed its consent to increase the staff strength at both the High Commissions to 55 as suggested by New Delhi a few weeks ago.

This is one more step in the people-to-people contact phase of the relationship between the two countries. The Indian mission in Islamabad is hard put to cope with the insistent demand for Indian visas especially after the resumption of the bus services between the two countries.

Over 200 visa applications are piling up every day putting a strain on the limited staff. The visa section in Islamabad was virtually wound up after Pakistan expelled almost all staff from this section early this year during the tit for tat expulsions.

Pakistan foreign office spokesman Masood Khan said Islamabad had agreed to the Indian suggestion with a hope that New Delhi would finally agree to restore the full strength of 110 members as existed till December 2001. India had cut down its staff strength by half following the attack on Parliament. The strength dwindled to 47.

Menon also said India in principle had agreed to Pakistan's request to send its experts to see the Baglihar hydroelectric project in Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistan has been asking for examination by experts and has alleged that the hydro power project being built over the river Chenab at Baglihar may have been violating the 1960 Indus water accord, which granted riparian rights of three rivers flowing from Kashmir into Pakistan.

"We have agreed in principle to permit the Pakistan team to see the project and work out the dates with mutual consultations," Menon said.

However, these are incremental measures. The tricky issue of overflights is yet to be addressed by Pakistan. Denial of flying rights over Pakistan is hurting India much more than Pakistan. India has asked for a meeting to discuss overflights but Pakistan has not yet indicated dates.