FS-level talks: Pak media says Kashmir 'left for another day'

Islamabad, Jun 25 (PTI) Notwithstanding the agreement on
various CBMs during the Indo-Pak Foreign Secretary-level
talks, most sections of the Pakistani media contended Saturday
that the parleys did not lead to any "major breakthrough" and
the most crucial issue of Kashmir was "left for another day".
The headline in The Express Tribune daily read: "Just
talks, no major breakthrough."
The News' headline on the front page was "Pak-India talks
end without any major decision" while the right-wing The
Nation daily headlined its report "Kashmir left for another
day."
The top diplomats of India and Pakistan concluded their
two-day talks Friday "without any major breakthrough on the
longstanding Kashmir dispute" after Foreign Secretary Nirupama
Rao said the issue could not be resolved under "the shadow of
the gun," The Express Tribune reported.
The Nation said that "to the dismay of Pakistanis, the
two sides just reiterated their stated position on Kashmir,
apparently putting the most crucial issue for another day."
The Business Recorder daily too reported that the talks
had concluded "without any breakthrough" though the two sides
had agreed to hold another round of dialogue before their
Foreign Ministers meet in New Delhi next month.
The News said in its report that the talks concluded
"without any breakthrough other than an agreement to meet
again in New Delhi" ahead of the ministerial talks.
Both the pro-army Pakistan Observer and The Statesman
dailies, however, noted in their reports that India and
Pakistan had agreed to "narrow their divergence" on the
Kashmir issue and to continue their discussions to find a
solution to the dragging issue by building convergences.
The Frontier Post reported that the Foreign Secretaries
had concluded their talks on a "positive note and agreed on
the need to strengthen cooperation on counter-terrorism."
The liberal Daily Times too noted that the two countries
had "agreed to continue discussions on Jammu and Kashmir in a
purposeful and forward looking manner with the view to finding
a peaceful solution by narrowing divergences."
The influential Dawn newspaper noted in its front page
report that India had said it could discuss the Kashmir issue
"only if the 'shadow of gun' – a pointed reference to
terrorist groups targeting India – was removed."
The report contended this assertion by India "blew away
the facade of cordiality and progress that both sides tried to
build... using all possible feel-good phrases."
"Still, the Foreign Secretaries made it a point to end
the parleys with good optics," the report said, referring to
the decision to hold meetings of several groups of experts to
discuss various confidence-building measures ahead of the
ministerial talks next month.
The two-day talks had focussed on the Kashmir issue,
peace and security, including nuclear and conventional
confidence-building measures, and the promotion of friendly
exchanges.
The two sides exchanged a wide array of proposals on
possible CBMs and friendly exchanges, ranging from an Indian
proposal to include cruise missile launches in a pact on
pre-notification of missile tests to a Pakistani suggestion
for a women's cricket series. PTI RHL
KAP