Search the Internet          Tips

PM announces steps to enhance Indo-Pak people-to-people contacts

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

The Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced several steps on Wednesday to enhance people-to-people relations between India and Pakistan.

Briefing reporters on the announcement, external affairs ministry spokeswoman Nirupama Rao said that 20 scholarships will be offered to students from Pakistan to train in Indian technical institutes.

Rao said that the prime minister also plans to invite Pakistani poets, academics, writers and artists for a month long visit each as guests of the Indian government.

She added that groups of Pakistani students from schools to universities would be invited by the Indian government to tour Indian academic establishments.

She pointed out that in order to find a permanent solution to the problem of Indian and Pakistani fishermen, the prime minister has instructed the Indian coast guard in future not to arrest Pakistani fishermen inadvertently entering Indian territorial waters.

Such Pakistani fishermen will be turned back with a warning, she said.

She pointed out that the Prime Minister Vajpayee has also instructed the home affairs ministry to take expeditious action for the release of all Pakistani 'civilian prisoners' currently in India after due processes of law.

She said that in order to encourage Pakistani imports into India, Prime Minister Vajpayee has instructed the commerce ministry to identify 50 tariff lines.

"These lines will be identified and instructions to this affect will be issued before August 15,2001," Rao pointed out.

Indo-Pak Summit 2001: The Complete Coverage

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report