Gujral, Sharief decide to avoid clashes along LoC

Prime Minister I K Gujral and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharief have decided to improve the communications between the armed forces along the line of control in Jammu and Kashmir to avoid a recurrence of last month's border clashes.

At their second meeting this year -- they met at the SAARC summit in Male in May -- the two prime ministers also discussed the stalemate in the foreign secretary-level talks over interpretation of the June 23 Islamabad declaration concerning the setting up of a working group on Jammu and Kashmir. An agreement was obviously elusive.

Last week, the foreign secretaries left the matter to be resolved by the two premiers, but Gujral and Sharief passed the buck back to the two diplomats, to be discussed further at the next foreign secretary-level parleys in Islamabad.

To prevent border clashes along the LOC, both Gujral and Sharief felt there was need to improve the communications between the military commanders. Sources said the communication channels at the sector commander level were likely to be revived. Necessary directives in this regard will be given soon.

Gujral was assisted in the talks by Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram, Minister of State for External Affairs Salim Sherwani and Foreign Secretary K Raghunath. Sharief was accompanied by Foreign Minister Gohar Ayub Khan and his information advisor, Senator Mushahid Hussain.

Sharief said Gujral and he had agreed that ''our differences'' must be resolved through constant dialogue and that the suggestion of a non-aggression pact between the two countries he had made in his speech at the UN General Assembly on Monday did not figure in the talks.

Despite Sharief's sabre-rattling on Monday, the ''atmosphere and ambience'' at the meeting was ''excellent'', sources said, adding that the ''personal chemistry'' between the two prime ministers was very good.

Gujral, the sources said, was of the view that bilateral ties in economic and other areas should be strengthened even as efforts continue to find solutions to intractable political problems.

Indian diplomats said Sharief's non-aggression pact suggestion was not new. In fact, India had suggested this way back to Pakistan in 1948. In 1980, the then Pakistan president Zia-ul Haq had come up with a similar idea. In response, India had suggested that the two countries sign a treaty of co-operation and friendship. But nothing came out of these suggestions.

Gujral appeared well prepared in case Sharief raised the issue at Tuesday morning's meeting. Sources said India would welcome any constructive suggestion that Pakistan might put forward. ''We are ready to continue discussing the idea of a non-aggression pact,'' one diplomat said.

About Pakistan's demand that India reduce its troop strength in Jammu and Kashmir, the sources said it was not being considered. Such sensitive decisions were governed by considerations of national security.

EARLIER REPORTS:
Indo-Pak foreign secretary-level talks fail, ball in PMs's court
Sharief's future hinges on successful Indo-Pak talks
Will Clinton's proposal end Indo-Pak hostilities?
The Kashmir war will now move to New York: experts
Hawks in Pak establishment, army behind firing
Firing will harden Indian stand at foreign secretary-level talks
The Kashmir Hurdle
Goodbye hatred
India will not negotiate Kashmir in talks with Pakistan
India, Pakistan talks begin in Delhi