INDIA INTELLIGENCE REPORT
Information
Democracy Government States Neighbors Religions Organizations
The Eternal Way
Introduction The Scriptures Principles Karma The Individual The Society
Content
Latest Editorials Questions Search
 

Nation and States 

Minister-level talks \91warm
and productive': 
India, Pakistan discuss
Kashmir, among other issues

What is India News Service, June 22, 2004, 1630 hrs

External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri discussed Jammu and Kashmir during the first high-level talks after a new government took over in India.

Singh had a 100-minute lunch meeting with Kasuri at which officials from both sides were present, and followed it up with a 25-minute one-to-one on the lawns of the plush Sheraton Qingdao Hotel.

The ministers are in Zingdao, East China, to attend a 22-member Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD). Singh later told reporters that \93the chemistry was pretty good\94 while Kasuri said they had discussed all issues \93necessary for us to discuss\94. The joint statement said the talks were \93warm and productive\94.

Singh and Kasuri reviewed the expert-level dialogue on nuclear confidence building measures (CBMs) in New Delhi yesterday. Kasuri described Pakistan and India as "responsible nuclear powers", and said they were eager to settle their decades old dispute over Kashmir. "Yes, I am for nuclear disarmament, but it has to be
universal," he added.

Militant camps active: Meanwhile, a home ministry report said recently-arrested militants had revealed that Inter Services Intelligence of Pakistan had re-opened militant training camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The Indian government apprehends heavy infiltration in the coming months.

The 30-page document states the largest militant camp is in the Jungle-Mangal area, where nearly 300 militants, mostly foreign mercenaries, are being trained. Camps in Mansera and Haripur, closed after the US-led operations against Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, have become active again, with a constant flow of young men from Afghanistan. The youths, mostly unemployed, are being targeted as many mercenaries from Sudan, Kuwait and Lebanon were thrown out of Pakistan under pressure from the US and allied forces.

Rebel threat: The head of a rebel group in South Waziristan on Monday said his men wanted to live in peace with Pakistan, but would continue waging a \93holy war\94 against the United States.

"We want peace for Pakistan, but not for the US," Haji Muhammad Omar, amir
of the mujahideen shura in Waziristan, told the Dawn newspaper. The hitherto unknown Muhammad Omar called up the BBC Pushto Service on Sunday to claim that he had been made the acting commander of the group in place of Nek Muhammad, who had been killed in a missile attack last week.

The 45-year-old former Taliban fighter went back on his earlier statement that no decision had so far been made about the appointment of Nek's successor.

Peacekeeping in Afghanistan: In a Kabul-dateline story, The Daily Times reported that more NATO troops would be needed in Afghanistan by the end of July to ensure smooth elections in September.

UN Special Representative to Afghanistan Jean Arnault said international donors would need to provide tens of millions of dollars of funds that had been pledged, but not yet delivered. Afghans had demonstrated their enthusiasm by registering at a rate of more than 100,000 a day to vote in what are billed as the country's first free polls, Arnault told a news briefing.

NATO has said it will expand its force of about 6,400 peacekeepers, now confined mainly to Kabul. Islamic militants have vowed to disrupt the polls and stepped up attacks, prompting member states to become reluctant to provide more troops.

New state: Back in India, the home ministry has begun drafting a bill for the formation of Telangana state, Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K Chandrasekhar Rao said Monday. The process from now to passing the bill would take eight to nine months, he said. Rao fought and won the elections on the new state plank.

Tehelka tapes not faked: The Tehelka tapes on corruption in defence deals, which led to the resignation of the then Defence Minister, George Fernandes, three years ago, are ``original'' and have not been ``over-dubbed'', a London-based expert said Monday.

Overall:

India, Pakistan foreign ministers met: They told the world their countries were responsible nuclear powers. 

Report predicted infiltration: A home ministry document said Pakistan\92s Inter Services Intelligence had revived militant training camps. 

Rebel held out threat to the US: An Afghan leader proclaimed himself successor to Nek, the high profile militant killed last week. 

Ministry started sketching new state: Chandrashekhar Rao, leader of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, said the home ministry had begun work on carving out a new state from Andhra Pradesh.