India and Pakistan move a step closer
Wu YixueChina Daily  Updated: 2004-11-14 09:21

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced a troop reduction in the India-controlled portion of Kashmir on Thursday, days ahead of his first planned visit to the insurgency-hit Himalayan state since he took office in May.

The plan for the troop reduction, which is due to begin this winter and to end next March, serves as India's latest goodwill posture towards Pakistan after the two generation-long rivals have frequently been exchanging olive branches recently.

It will surely help further advance the already started conciliation process between New Delhi and Islamabad, both of which claim they own Kashmir entirely.

Describing it as "a step in the right direction," Pakistan welcomed Singh's announcement the same day and said the new confidence-building measure will definitely help ease tension and enhance stability in the strife-torn region.

As an influential regional power who has always dreamed of a bigger role in South Asia and beyond, India's troop reduction plan is undoubtedly a positive move which will benefit itself, Pakistan and the region as a whole.

India and Pakistan have both mobilized enormous domestic resources to confront the other's military presence there. This has been a heavy military burden on both countries, strengthening their desire for a detente.

The positive step taken by the Indian side indicates that New Delhi and Islamabad are now taking concrete steps to realize the goodwill created by their top leaders, whose final aim is to realize normalization of bilateral relations.

In late October, the two South Asian heavyweights agreed in principle to a timetable for several meetings which are to bring a series of outstanding issues affecting bilateral ties to the negotiating table.

In a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Singh and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf at the sideline of the United Nations General Assembly in September, the first meeting since Singh took office in May, both leaders agreed to seek various methods to solve the intractable Kashmir issue and to pursue normalization of bilateral ties.

The constructive atmosphere of the historic meeting has been widely acclaimed as a positive beginning that augurs well for the peace process between the two countries.

The latest declared move by India also demonstrates that New Delhi has hammered home the idea that it is confidence-building measures rather than heavy military confrontation that can help further advance the already frayed bilateral ties.

We expect further actions that reflect confidence and maturation of our neighbours in dealing with international affairs.

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