Shankar for weekly talks at Wagha

KARACHI Former Indian minister Mani Shankar Aiyar on Saturday suggested uninterrupted dialogue between Pakistan and India at Wagha-Attari border on weekly basis to discuss all the pending issues between the two countries.
Instead of meeting in Delhi or Islamabad occasionally, both the governments should sit together regularly at the border to discuss all the disputed issues.
He was speaking at a meeting with civil society organisations at Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) Centre, Gulshan-e-Maymar, Karachi.
On his arrival from New Delhi direct to office of PILER, he was presented Ajrak and Sindhi cap by former Nazim of Gaddap Town Ghulam Murtaza Baloch. Karamat Ali, Executive Director of PILIER welcomed him.
Mani Shankar is known for his consistent advocacy of friendly relations between Pakistan and India. His special interests include grass-root democracy, Indian foreign policy, particularly with India 's neighbours and West Asia and Nuclear Disarmament.
Shankar, who is a former senior diplomat and present member of the ruling All India Congress, said Vietnam and US officials used to meet at Hotel Majestic Palace on every Thursday and South and North Korean government officials are still meeting on weekly basis. Why Pakistan and India cannot meet at the border on regular basis for dialogue and for that purpose they did not need any permission or visa, he asked.
Both the sides can talk on every issue by just intimating each other in advance. He said former Pakistani President General Pervez Musha-rraf had initiated a process of back-channel diplomacy and it was very successful. We were told that many vital issues like Kashmir, Siachin, Sir Creek, Vooler barrage etc had moved at advance stage.
We should take our people into confidence about the happenings so that if they have any objections they be addressed. If uninterrupted dialogue initiated, you would see a big change in relationship between two the countries, he said. Shankar who remained posted in Pakistan in 1970s decade said he had very close relationship with Pakistani people. I have come here for 20 times. About 46 Pakistani guests had attended marriage ceremony of my daughter, he said. This time, he said he has come on a private visit.
To a question about Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project, the former Indian Minister for Petroleum said it was he who had initiated this project because India needed gas for its energy needs. I spent at least a year to pursue both India and Pakistan on gas pipeline from Iran. But todays situation of India is quite different. We have discovered a lot of gas at home so our imported gas needs have declined. Our government considers gas as 'not so clean energy, instead nuclear energy is now on priority he said.
However, he agreed that it would take 50 to 60 years to get benefit from nuclear energy. If we installed the entire installed capacity of France in our country, we would cover only five percent of our energy requirements. In future days we would need imported gas. Still I am convinced on IPI project. He said for this purpose, now India had to reinitiate dialogue with both Iran and Pakistan keeping in view the rates are correct and other technical problems are solved. Only five to six months are required for that purpose, he added.
In reply to another question, Mr. Shankar said some people in armies, political parties and the media in both the countries do not want peace, where as others want peace. In India, some people also take excuses of Pakistan 's statement against India.
In his view, most of the opposition in his country about bilateral talks comes North Indian side, where as South Indian people do not bother much about it.
In his views Pakistan Army has been in power directly or indirectly particularly after 1958, where as in India the situation is quite different. He recalled an incident in which Indian journalists met Nawaz Sharif and told him about Pundit Jawahirlal Nehros role in strengthening democracy in India. But Nawaz Sharif said credit goes to him because he put Army under his thumb. He said he cannot say how long Indian politicians can prevent its Army from take over because in one-third provinces of India the government has failed to provide economic relief to the people.
Shankar said it is very difficult to understand Pakistan 's power politics. According to him, he has learnt about Pakistani power politics from a book 'Making Sense of Pakistan written by Farzana Shaikh.
He said President Zardaris initial statement about India was very encouraging and every India politician had welcomed it. Even we suggested to move forward and take benefit of the opportunity. But situation changed, when Indian Prime Minister talked to Pakistani Prime Minister, who himself suggested to send DG ISI to India. But when Pakistan later said it was going to send a junior officer, it was like a slap on our PM, he said. In my view, we (India) should have accepted that offer too, he added. He said India has always wanted to initiate talks. In Sharm al Shaikh meeting, all Pakistani demands were accepted, but Pakistan said it was its victory, which put the things in reverse order.
To another question, he said in initial years of independence, people who migrated from India and those who migrated from Pakistan created hatred among two countries.