The peace process between India and Pakistan is now "irreversible," leaders of the two longtime rival nations said yesterday, announcing a series of agreements to increase trade and cross-border travel in Kashmir and elsewhere.
With Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf standing beside him, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said they had agreed to continue talks on the divided region of Kashmir, the heart of decades of disputes, in "a sincere and purposeful manner" until a settlement was found.
"They determined that the peace process was now irreversible," Singh said, reading from a joint statement the two leaders had just signed.
The two countries agreed to increase the frequency of a cross-Kashmir bus service that started earlier this month and to identify more places along the Kashmir frontier that could be opened to traffic.
They agreed to revive a joint commission to boost business ties and to open consulates in Mumbai and Karachi by the end of the year.
They also vowed not to allow terrorism to thwart the peace process.
Earlier, Musharraf said the talks with the Indian leader were more successful than he had expected, but warned that settling the Kashmir dispute would take a long time.
Musharraf said there had been a change in attitude in Pakistan about Kashmir, which is split between the neighbors but claimed in its entirety by both. The two nuclear armed rivals have fought two wars over it.
"Domestically there is a realization that the military option is not the option any more," he told Indian journalists. "The strategy of a coercive diplomacy is no more an option."
"Our achievements on all issues are more than what I expected," Musharraf said.
But on Kashmir, he said, "it will need a lot of time and wisdom to arrive at a settlement. Let us go step by step."
Political observers said the talks were a success.
"It is a big push forward," said M.K. Rasgotra, a former Indian diplomat. "Both sides have shown flexibility and displayed pragmatism, especially on the Kashmir issue."
Talat Masood, a former general of the Pakistani army, said Islamabad appeared reconciled to "India's position on the territorial aspect of Kashmir."
The decisions marked a major shift in how India and Pakistan have approached Kashmir, said C. Raja Mohan, a New Delhi-based professor of South Asian studies.
"In the past, the whole emphasis was on defending positions, and trying to score over each other," he said.
Raja Mohan said the two countries appeared headed for an agreement on tackling terrorism.
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