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Confidence building measures likely during summit

Josy Joseph in New Delhi

Several confidence building measures are being discussed by the government top brass and military circles in the run up to the Vajpayee-Musharaf summit scheduled between July 14 and July 16, official sources said on Thursday.

Under serious consideration of the Prime Minister's Office are establishment of more hotlines between the two armies and more meetings between both the armies' field commanders along the Line of Control.

According to sources in the army headquarters, the PMO, the external affairs ministry and others connected with the Agra summit have been holding consultations with the Army Chief General S Padmanabhan and other senior officials.

General Padmanabhan has had a few rounds of discussions with National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra.

Foreign and Defence Minister Jaswant Singh and Foreign Secretary Chokila Iyer too have been consulting several experts including retired foreign secretaries and former defence officials on these issues, the sources added.

Among the CBMs that are finding popular acceptance in the army headquarters and other circles are the renewal of hotlines that had existed between army commanders across the border in Kashmir region.

Earlier, the army commanders based in Jammu and Baramulla had a hotline link with their counterparts of Pakistan Army in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

There is also discussion in the government circles about strengthening the existing CBMs in the nuclear field, which were signed during Lahore summit.

Both the prime ministers then had agreed to undertake 'immediate steps for reducing the risk of accidental or unauthorised use of nuclear weapons and discuss concepts and doctrines with a view to elaborating measures for confidence building in the nuclear and conventional field, aimed at prevention of conflict.'

Despite the commitment, and a memorandum of understanding signed between the foreign secretaries then, no progress was made primarily because of Kargil war.

General (retd) VP Malik points out that the Army was consulted over CBMs, including those in nuclear arena, announced in Lahore.

"What needs to be done is to now apply them on the ground," he said.

He also echoes the opinion of senior defence officials in New Delhi that there is a need for a 'mechanism to properly monitor them.'

The present CBMs existing between India and Pakistan are not monitored at a bilateral level. The only regular contact, where objections about each other's actions are notified, is the hotline existing between the Director General of Military Operations of both the countries.

A senior army officer in New Delhi said though the government is consulting them over proposed CBMs and other actions, 'we would not know what might finally emerge.'

General Malik supports the demand for more telephone lines between formation commanders.

"We should also schedule meetings at the LoC between the army commanders in the field, similar to the ones Border Security Force have now. That is bound to improve the situation," he added.

Officers in the army headquarters admit that there is a scope for it. "We are discussing that also. Our officers do meet their counterparts at flag meetings, which are very rare and for issues like handing over of dead bodies," a senior official said.

The Indian Army had pushed for a reactivation of the hotlines between commanders in Kashmir and for better CBMs during the foreign secretary level talks in 1997-98 when Salman Haider was the foreign secretary. But for unknown reasons, they were not pursued.

"This time both the sides seem to be serious about peace. And CBMs involving the armies would be the best stepping stone," a senior army official said.

At present there are a few CBMs between the two countries which are adhered to, and which have noticeable effects. Among them is avoiding military exercise involving over a division strength of soldiers anywhere within five kilometers of the border.

There are also specific conditions for conducting naval exercises comprising a formation of over six ships close to each other's Exclusive Economic Zones.

CBMs also exist on violation of air space and permission for both countries' planes to fly over each other's air space.

Indo-Pak Summit 2001: The Complete Coverage

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