'India awaiting Pak reply on concrete proposals'

Srinagar, May 25: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said India was waiting a response from Pakistan on some 'concrete' suggestions to resolving all outstanding issues.

Though he did not elaborate these proposals, the Prime Minister said, "In order to move forward, we need to move ahead step by step.'' In his concluding remarks at the two day round table on Kashmir, the Prime Minister said the government was committed to resolving all outstanding issues with Pakistan, including the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. There is also realisation that terrorism is an enemy of civilized societies.

''We must have courage to see each other as supporting the other for the realisation for a better tomorrow for all the people of India and Pakistan.'' He said his government has a vision that the peace making process must ultimately "culminate in our two countries entering into a Treaty of Peace, security and friendship to give meaning and substance to our quest for shared goals." He said there are two dimensions to the problems of Jammu and Kashmir- one being the relationship netween Delhi and Srinagar and the other being relationship between Delhi and Islamabad. The Prime Minister said he had told President Pervez Musharraf and the people of Pakistan that "we are sincerly committed to peace and development in the region. Our government is committed to resolving all outstanding issues with Pakistan, including the issue of Jammu and Kashmir.

Towards this end, we have proposed certain concrete proposals.

''We are awaiting Pakistan's response.'' The Prime Minister also announced setting up of five working groups which will include confidence building measures across segments of society in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The others are for strengthening relations across LoC, economic development, ensuring good governance and strenghtening relations between the state and centre.

The Prime Minister said that normalisation of relations between India and Pakistan will open up enormous opportunities for the accelerated rate of economic growth. ''We must encourage people to people contacts between both sides. It is through such contacts that we can explore a vision for a cooperative common future for our two nations- a future where peace prevails, where relations are friendly, where our citizens rejoice in the well being of the other country.'' ''The vision that guides is that the destinies of our people are interlinked. That our two countries must therefore devise effective strategies to give concrete shape and meaning to this shared vision.

We are sincerely committed to peace and prosperity, unity, development and well being of Pakistan. We want all the people of South Asia to live a life of diignity and self respect. When our neighbours live in peace, we live in peace.'' He said the peace process with Pakistan, as discussions at the roudn table conference have revealed, has generated high expectations. ''I am glad that this process has received demonstrable public support.'' He said issue of economic development of the state, creation of job opportunities and effective utilisation of funds has been a recurring theme. The problem of displacement of people is a live one.

He said he had asked the state government to expedite the issue of identity cards to migrant families in a time bound manner in the next six months.

The Prime Minister said the next round table conference would discuss the reports of the five working groups.

UNI

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