ASSEMBLY POLL '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS '98
ARCHIVES

India, Pak exchange prisoners of peace

George Iype in New Delhi

The diplomatic route chartered in Lahore by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharief had its pioneer travellers on Monday -- 57 civilian prisoners, who were released at the Wagah border.

It is for the first time since 1991 that such an exchange is taking place between India and Pakistan.

To improve bilateral relations and as a follow-up to Vajpayee's historic bus ride, India handed over 43 Pakistani nationals. Pakistan reciprocated by releasing 14 Indian prisoners, including three minors.

Officials at the ministry of external affairs termed the exchange "the first serious practical step on the Lahore declaration."

"The diplomacy being followed by Vajpayee and Sharief is quite unique in that it is the first people-to-people bilateral initiative. We want to unite the separated families and prisoners in India and Pakistan before we actually step into any serious business on Kashmir," an official said.

He said the MEA and the Pakistani foreign affairs office were processing the many cases of civilian prisoners and fishermen languishing in both countries, and planning to release them in the next few months.

The jailed include civilians held for lack of proper visa papers, immigration certificates, and those who strayed over the border.

"These people have been victims of the diplomatic war of words between India and Pakistan. The Lahore-Delhi bus is now reuniting separated families. The exchange of civilian prisoners proves that both the countries are eager to pursue the humanitarian grounds to solve disputes like Kashmir," the official added.

Officials disclosed that in the wake of the exchange of prisoners, tough negotiations on other disputed issues between the countries would follow.

Indian External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Sartaj Aziz have already announced during the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation meeting last week that they would concretise the Lahore Declaration within the next two months.

Foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan are now scheduled to meet in New Delhi in May.

Prior to the secretary-level meeting, officials will meet in Islamabad to sort out issues like Siachen, the Wullar barrage project and Tulbul navigation project, Sir Creek, terrorism and drug trafficking, economic and commercial co-operation and the promotion of friendly exchanges in various fields.

Expert groups in both countries are now finalising confidence-building measures needed to reduce the risk of nuclear accidents. Much emphasis had been given in the Lahore Declaration for nuclear security initiatives.

Soon after the official level talks, Singh and Aziz will meet to review the progress on peace initiatives.

Official sources said Sharief would visit India only after the secretary-level negotiations in May and the Singh-Aziz summit, tentatively scheduled in June.

Vajpayee had invited Sharief to undertake a similar bus journey through Wagah to New Delhi last month. Though Sharief accepted the offer, the dates were yet to be scheduled.

If everything goes well, officials expect another historic treaty to be signed between Vajpayee and Sharief by the middle of 1999.

RELATED REPORT:
'The jail authorities tried to snatch my children'

Tell us what you think of this report