Manmohan tells Sharif: Fix LoC first, then trade

At the meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in New York on Saturday, no progress was made on taking relations between the two countries forward. Both prime ministers agreed that continuing problems along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir had to be minimised before “earlier understandings” on a trade and economic relationship could be addressed.

According to National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon: “The precondition for any movement in the relationship that they both desire is an improvement on the situation on the LoC, where there have been repeated ceasefire violations. The directors-general of military operations of both sides have been tasked with effective means to enforce the ceasefire.” No timeline has, however, been imposed on coming up with such means.

Besides the LoC, Singh sought and received assurances from Sharif that movement on terror trials on Pakistan would be expedited. That the Punjab provincial government, run by Sharif’s party, has reportedly been funding the terror-linked Jamaat-ud-Dawa organisation was also discussed. There was no decision on a further meeting, and sources close to the PM said that there was no knowing at the moment how useful this meeting was. Both PMs have accepted invitations to visit the other country, but no dates have been set.

Menon said, while both PMs were desirous of broader dialogue, they were also agreed that the time is not now because of tensions along the border. Summarising the meeting, he said: “The basic understanding is all that only possible after we deal with the immediate situation we face today.”

Singh headed into the talks with a weakened position thanks to political infighting back home in Delhi. He only partially recovered ground by a speech at the United Nations that was seen as tough on Pakistan and terror. Both leaders were in New York for the UN General Assembly meeting. Attending the talks from the Indian side were, besides Singh and Menon, Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid, and Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh. Sharif was accompanied by his foreign affairs advisor, Sartaj Aziz.