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Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said her country was
disappointed in the "slow pace" of peace talks with India and insisted that
relations must move beyond "confidence-building steps" that is part of the
composite dialogue. The two countries resumed their stalled dialogue in 2004
which has moved haltingly on fundamental differences of perceptions and lack of
trust.
Aslam said while Pakistan was “disappointed” she would not characterize it as
“broken down." She said that while "the process is continuing” Islamabad “would
like to see further movement.” Aslam cited Indian Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh’s statement that India was "committed" to living in harmony with Pakistan
and to resolving the Kashmir dispute with a lasting peace treaty. Singh said
the number of Indian troops in Indian-controlled Kashmir could be reduced if
violence abated. He also promised to hold talks with Muslim rebels seeking a
merger of the state with Pakistan if they ended terror attacks. But terror has
not abated and while infiltration has reduced somewhat, threat perceptions
remain high.
Pakistan wants to accelerate the resolution of the Kashmir dispute while India
wants an end to violence first. Pakistan claims that the people of Kashmir are
oppressed and India says that recent elections with large voter turnout on a
platform of peace and anti-terrorism mean the opposite. Pakistan wants a
de-militarization of Kashmir, India says that is impossible if Pakistan
continues to arm, train, fund, and encourage terrorism.
India has restarted conversation with moderate Kashmiri groups and political
organizations in what is called as roundtable meetings. In the last meeting,
the Government had requested the All Parties Hurriyat Conference to attend but
their request was rebuffed by a recalcitrant and
less relevant Hurriyat who
stayed away on flimsy grounds. The
outcome of the last roundtable was
significant as it had for the first time created task forces to study and
report back measures that improves relations.
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