C in today’s CBMs means culture

The impression that the peace process is slowing down because of bureaucratic apathy and internal political dynamics has been gaining ground. While Islamabad says India’s new government is slowly settling down, New Delhi believes Pakistan is also under pressure to be seen as ‘‘delivering’’ on the Kashmir issue.

But there is also the realisation in both countries that the peace process is being directed by ‘‘people’s movements’’, which will not look too kindly to undue delays.

Certainly, the Pakistani side is keen to make ‘‘progress’’ on Kashmir and has over the last few meetings, both in New Delhi and Islamabad—including on the margins of the SAARC foreign ministerial meeting in Islamabad 10 days ago—offered to discuss this in a more creative and flexible way.

The ‘‘impasse’’ over Kashmir, whether it is the lack of willingness on Pakistan’s side to have ‘‘technical-level discussions’’ on the proposed cross-LoC route from Srinagar to Muzaffarabad, or New Delhi’s insistence that the ‘‘bilateral’’ brief must constitute the bedrock of discussions, will, however, not be allowed to come in the way of the two-day culture talks.

Perhaps the bonhomie and understanding that both sides will evolve over these discussions will help them sort out the more prickly issues on Siachen and Sir Creek later this week.

Tomorrow’s meeting is scheduled to discuss how to enhance pilgrim travel to more temples, mosques and gurdwaras in both countries, such as the Hazratganj Data Sahib (a Sufi shrine in Lahore) and the Shardani Darbar (a Hindu temple in Madhya Pradesh). Travel to an additional 10-12 shrines is also likely to be on the agenda. As many as 7,000 Hindu and Sikh pilgrims currently visit shrines in Pakistan, while around 1,300 Pakistanis go to Ajmersharif in Ajmer and the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah in Delhi.

Additional visa categories for tourists, conferences and students’ study tours are also likely to be proposed by the Indian side. Senior citizen visas and those for children under 12 could be relaxed, by even allowing them to exit and enter from different cities.

Moreover, New Delhi has shown willingness to allow journalists and artistes as well as businessmen to travel across the border to get to know their counterparts better. Art exhibitions are on the anvil, as are exchanges between journalism institutes. The idea, official sources said, is to help keep the peace process going.

The welfare of civilian prisoners is an area where Islamabad is particularly keen on seeing progress. Both sides agree that most prisoners are innocent, having wandered across the border in areas where there is no fence.