Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Dec 2: Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation’s 6th India Pakistan Dialogue concluded in Delhi with the release of a draft resolution outlining recommendations for Indian and Pakistani Governments to improve bilateral relations and address outstanding issues.
The 6th Delhi Dialogue was the result of collaboration between the Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation (CDR) and Islamabad based Jinnah Institute (JI). The conference was held for the sixth consecutive year, and continued in its aim to promote peace between India and Pakistan through Track II diplomacy. The event brought together senior parliamentarians, diplomats, senior media-persons and policy experts who adopted the joint statement after two days of intense deliberations.
The participants expressed their deep concern at the deterioration of relations and the absence of a structured dialogue between the two Governments, particularly when it was most needed.
Maintaining that there was disquiet over the recurring breakdown of the ceasefire on border, which had led to the deaths and the disruptions of the lives of innocent civilians on both sides, the speakers emphasized the need for continuous and constructive engagement between India and Pakistan on all issues and at all levels.
The two Foreign Offices have a special responsibility, and must play a catalytic role, in promoting this process while the next SAARC summit in Pakistan offers an opportunity for meetings at the highest level to seriously discuss all bilateral and regional issues, they observed and added that stalled dialogue must be restarted with utmost urgency and cover all relevant issues, including Jammu and Kashmir while the ceasefire of 2003 on Line of Control (LoC) and IB/WB (working boundary) should be strictly adhered to and effective mechanisms instituted.
Participants noted that terrorism was a common threat for the entire region and they called upon India as well as Pakistan to cooperate effectively in combating it while existing Kashmir centric CBMs should be strengthened and expanded.
The participants also propose to establish a joint Pak-India Media Commission having representation of different levels of journalistic bodies in both countries for negotiating the terms for the above, with both the States.
The participants also propose to establish a joint Pak-India Media Commission having representation of different levels of journalistic bodies in both countries for negotiating the terms for the above, with both the states. The Commission should also be mandated for drafting a general code of ethics for reporting on conflict between the two countries.
Urging the Governments of India and Pakistan to lift the ban on electronic news media in each other’s countries.
Among the participants, Indian delegates included Wajahat Habibullah, Salman Haidar, S K Lambah, Satyabrata Pal, M Yousuf Tarigami, Sidharth Varadarajan, Rekha Chowdhury, Seema Mustafa, Gowhar Geelani and Sushobha Barve while the Pakistani delegates included Sherry Rehman, Aziz Ahmed Khan, Shafqat Kakakhel, Salman Bashir, Shah Ghulam Qadir, Zahid Hussain, Saleem Khan, Marvi Sirmed and Syed Hassan Akbar.
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