3 weeks on, Pakistan and India talk on quake

CHAKOTHI, Pakistan, Oct 29 (Reuters): Three weeks after a devastating earthquake killed more than 56,000 people in India and Pakistan, officials from the two countries met today to discuss opening their border to survivors.

With the Himalayan winter just weeks away and millions homeless, fears are growing for the lives of tens of thousands villagers in the mountainous region straddling the region worst hit by the October 8 quake.

A massive U N-led effort to deliver vital food and shelter has been hampered by landslides blocking many mountain roads.

In Islamabad, diplomats from the two countries were talking about how, where and when to open routes to allow easier access to relief across the line of control.

India wants to open three relief stations so villagers don't have to go far to reach safety.

Both India and Pakistan have been criticised for politicising the disaster and political analysts say the talks are likely to result in only limited crossings for stranded villagers.

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry has proposed that relief goods could be received by both sides at the five points it has identified, but added that it was more important that Kashmiris could visit their kin on the other side.

Indian defence sources have said there would have to be some agreement on identity verification to prevent crossings by Pakistan-backed militants.

Pakistan is accepting aid from India, which said it had offered 25 million dollars, but has refused to let troops join the rescue work on Pakistani soil.

Pakistani officials have put the quake death toll at 55,000, with 78,000 hurt.

Another 1,300 died in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

Aid workers fear a failure of donors to deliver sufficient emergency funds means a similar number could die of hunger and exposure as in the quake, which left more than three million homeless or needing shelter.

Residents of Chakothi, one of the crossing points proposed by Pakistan, said they would welcome Indian help.

"A lot of people still need tents and food," said Ahmed Hussain.

"The army has given us supplies, but not enough.

If they open the way to India it would definitely help poor people here." "Our children area crying and we have no food or water - we have nothing," said Abdul Rashid.

"If India gives us aid we would welcome it." Reaching Chakothi meant an 11 km walk along a road blocked by landslides.

Soldiers would not allow reporters to walk to the Line of Control (LoC), about 1.5 km away.

Some in the town said talks won't help.

"I don't think they are going to help us.

We have been hearing that they are going to open the LoC for the last 15 days - I think it's all talk," said Sayed Abid Hussain.

The relief effort has relied on helicopters, but Pakistan has told New Delhi it would accept Indian helicopters only without crews, given political sensitivities.

India said no to this.

While massive destruction of roads and bridges would limit large movements of people across the ceasefire line, if some crossing points are sanctioned it could give some families cut off close to the border easier ways out before winter traps them.

The United Nations says unusually heavy snow is expected in the earthquake zone within weeks and thousands more lives are at risk unless donors give another 250 million dollars immediately.

With many survivors still without food or shelter, only about 117 million dollars of 550 million dollars needed has so far been provided and the U N warned that without more money it could only keep its vital helicopter fleet running for another week.

The U N Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said up to 30 per cent of the affected are was yet to be reached, which could translate into at least 200,000 people without help.

No paper in Manipur for second day IMPHAL, Oct 29 (UNI): In Manipur no newspapers hit the stands for the second day today.

The journalists in the state were not able to work due to "some pressure" from some quarters.

Different groups had "pressurised" the journalists to air their views which had put the newspersons in a dilemma.

The crisis is not yet resolved and hectic efforts were on to resolve the impasse.

The local cable news network also stopped broadcast of all news for the last two days.

Bangladesh dissociates from allegations of India's involvement NEW DELHI, Oct 29 (UNI): Bangladesh today dissociated itself from the comments made about India's alleged involvement in the August 17 bomb explosions across Bangladesh saying it did not reflect Dhaka's official position.

A Joint Statement issued here after the sixth Home Secretary-level talks between the two countries said that reports about India's involvement in the bomb blast did "not reflect the official position of Bangladesh" and that investigation was on in the case.

"Bangladesh clarified that media reports about India's involvement in the bomb blast in August do not reflect the official position of the Government of Bangladesh," the Joint Statement signed by the Home Secretaries of the two countries here said.

Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) Director General Maj Gen (Retd) Jehangir Alam Choudhary had last month alleged that Indian criminals alongwith Bangladeshis were responsible for the hundreds of bomb explosions across the country on August 17.

The comments made after his annual talks with Border Security Force (BSF) Director General R S Mooshahary, threatened to vitiate the atmosphere between the two countries although India issued a prompt rebuttal.

Before signing the Joint Statement here, Bangladesh Home Secretary Safar Raj Hossain said in his opening remarks that both sides were working for strengthening friendship as they have a common heritage, common history, culture, language and democratically-elected governments.

He said relations between the two countries would be much more stronger in the coming days as Bangladesh was looking forward to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit in November to attend the SAARC summit.

Union Home Secretary V K Duggal, who lead the Indian delegation at the two-day talks, said the deliberations over the past two days were "very constructive" and both sides had discussed the issues with a "positive frame of mind." He said they had tried to understand each other's view point to find ways for further strengthening bilateral relations.

There was goodwil on both sides, he added.

Duggal, however, said "we have also to see our national interests and at the same time, approach various issues in a friendly atmosphere and in a spirit of cooperation."