Hopeful News on the peace-making front

[Bhaktavasya]

 

Todays sub-headlines from the BBC world news

 

 

Indian peace push in Pakistan

 

 

By Zaffar Abbas

BBC correspondent in Islamabad

 

 

A group of 30 Indian MPs and several journalists has arrived in Pakistan for a meeting with Pakistani counterparts as part of efforts to promote peace.

 

Both countries are trying to work towards peace

This is by far the biggest gathering of elected representatives and writers from the two sides since the start of the latest attempts to normalise relations two months ago.

 

The conference is a private initiative by a regional grouping of liberal journalists known as the South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA) but it seems to have the blessing of both governments.

 

Several prominent Indian MPs, including those from the governing BJP and some other Hindu nationalist groups, are part of the delegation.

 

Open debate

 

So too are representatives of the Indian Communist parties and some liberal groups which have already been in the forefront of the peace campaign in the region.

 

The Pakistani participants for the conference have also been drawn from a wide spectrum of political opinion, ranging from the governing Muslim League Party to hardline Islamic groups.

 

There is no fixed agenda for the conference, but a spokesman for the organisers said it includes an informal meeting of the Indian delegation with Pakistan's president, General Pervez Musharraf.

 

According to him, the idea of the conference is to allow politicians and opinion-makers from the two sides to have a frank discussion on outstanding disputes.

 

He said it is a significant peace initiative as for the first time representatives of the hardline religious parties of the two countries are also participating in an effort to improve relations.

 

Kashmir

 

Interestingly, the Indian delegation also includes Ram Jethamalani, who is head of the official committee which has been holding talks with the separatist leaders in Indian-administered Kashmir.

 

It is not clear if he plans to meet Kashmiri leaders on the Pakistani side as well.

 

If such a meeting takes place, it will be a high point of this conference and may speed up the process for the early resumption of formal dialogue between India and Pakistan.