News Analysis: Pakistani, Indian security talks could be basis for future negotiations of both countries

Pakistan and India will hold key security talks in New Delhi on Aug. 23-24 to "discuss all issues connected to terrorism" but they are likely to explore ways to stop the ongoing cross-border shelling in the contested Kashmir area.

The meeting of the National Security Advisers (NSAs) of both countries has assumed importance in the wake of the diplomatic tensions that resulted from the escalation of shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed Kashmir region.

Earlier, in a tit-for-tat action, both countries have summoned each other's senior diplomats to formally lodge their respective protests over the shelling.

Pakistani and Indian border forces now routinely trade fires despite the 2003 ceasefire in Kashmir. The saddest aspect of now almost daily exchange of fire is that most of the casualties are civilians who live on both sides of the LoC.

The media in both countries have also reported that hundreds of people have been displaced in the affected areas because of the exchange of shelling.

Pakistan has insisted that over the last two months more than 70 such violations emanated from the Indian side. India, for its part, has also claimed that the Pakistani side has been firing at their forces on a regular basis.

The growing tension between the two nuclear powers in South Asia has caused concerns across the world. On August 18, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed serious concerns over the recent escalation of violence along the LoC and urged both countries to show restraint.

Ban hoped that the upcoming meeting of the countries' top security officials would be followed by more dialogues between the two countries.

The United States has also expressed apprehension over the development in Kasthmir and encouraged both countries to peacefully resolve their age-old dispute.

Although section of the media in both countries and political watchers do not expect a breakthrough, the meeting itself is a major development since both countries are keeping the path of negotiations open.

Analysts said that sitting face-to-face across the negotiating table is definitely better than the continued exchange of fire and verbal recriminations.

Since the world community does not want to intervene in a purely bilateral issue, the onus is on Pakistan and India to craft a workable solution to their problem.

One analyst said that both countries will have to show flexibility in dealing with the complicated matter and the upcoming meeting would be a step forward as a confidence-building measure for the leaders of both countries to follow up with policies that would redound to the peace and stability in the contested region.

Both sides have reportedly been involved, through prior consultations, in the forging of the agenda of the meeting, something that augurs well on the outcome of the dialogue and could be the basis for future negotiations.

Spokesman Qazi Khalilullah of the Pakistan Foreign Ministry said that both countries have been in contact with each other in finalizing the agenda of the talks and that Pakistan will raise all issues of importance, including Kashmir, on which both countries have fought two wars and several firefights since their independence in 1947.

"There are serious issues between India and Pakistan which need to be resolved peacefully through talks. There have been occasions in the past as well when talks were held despite very tense moments in the relationship," Khalilullah told reporters in Islamabad on Thursday.

The meeting between the NSAs of both countries is a significant development after India abruptly canceled high level diplomatic talks with Pakistan in August last year over a meeting of the Pakistani High Commissioner with the Kashmiri leaders in New Delhi.

The NSAs meeting is not resumption of the official talks, known as "Composite Dialogue," but it could lead to better understanding on issues and the possibility of the resumption of the official talks in the immediate future.

The meeting between the NSAs was decided by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, at their meeting on the sidelines of SCO summit in Ufa, Russia, last month where they discussed terrorism-related issues. The two leaders also agreed on the early meetings of the chiefs of the border security forces followed by that of the Director General Military Operations of both countries.

Both Sharif and Modi have agreed that India and Pakistan have a collective responsibility to ensure peace and development in the region. Endi