Few months to be crucial for India, Pak: Kasuri

NEW DELHI, JAN 9 (Agencies): Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri has said that the next four-five months would be crucial for India and Pakistan to carry forward the peace process during which period the media has to "play an important role." The recent agreement between the two countries to start a composite dialogue next month should not be seen as "a victory for one and a defeat for the other" and the media has to correctly project it, he said in an interview to Doordarshan.

Recalling that the Agra summit failed due to media hype, Kasuri said this was the reason, it was decided this time to keep the process away from such a hype.

"That is why we want that if the media desires for peace, then the next four-five months are crucial and they should do good reporting during this period," Kasuri said.

To a question that some people would find faults with the process and whether they would be able to convince them, the Pakistani Foreing Minister said that there were two kinds of opposition.

"One is by opposition parties which do not want the Government to take any step.

This is a possibility.

They should at least come together on the issue of foreign policy.

"Still some people will oppose it and then I will say that the decision has been taken in public interest.

It is not possible that all people would support the move," he said.

Pak lodges complaint with UN against fencing by India ISLAMABAD, Jan 9 (Agencies): Notwithstanding the thaw in bilateral ties, Pakistan today said it has lodged a complaint with the UN protesting against fencing along Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir by India, but made it clear that it was not in violation of the ceasefire.

Defence secretary General (Retd) Hamid Nawaz told reporters in Karachi that while a complaint has been lodged with the UN Security Council, Islamabad is also trying to put "political pressure" on India to stop the fencing work.

He said Pakistan army recently tried to stop the fencing in Sialkot sector.

Asked whether it resulted in ceasefire violation in the sector, Pakistan defence spokesman Maj Gen Shoukat Sultan later said that no violation of ceasefire has taken place at Sialkot "working boundary." India has already assured Pakistan that fencing was not aimed at making LoC as permanent border but being built as a security measure to prevent militants from crossing over.

Nawaz's comments followed the visit of Under Secretary General of UN Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Marie Guehenno, to Pakistan yesterday.

Guehenno, who met President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali, today said UN officials have also reported the fencing by India to the UN Security Council, leaving the matter to the supreme body to take any decision in this regard.

Asked if any action they have proposed to the UNSC to take against India for erecting the fence, he said "the United Nations Military Observers Group (UNMOG) has a very precise role on the Line of Control.

They are here to monitor and report the matters to the UNSC.

Guehenno, however, termed the recent Indo-Pak peace initiatives as "positive development" and ruled out any chance of mediation by the UN until both India and Pakistan approached it with a joint request.

"The UN is always ready to help but only if the both countries wish us to do because we feel India does not feel the need to turn towards UN for the resolution of this dispute," he said.

He said the UN appreciates the new thaw in Indo-Pak bilateral ties, and the resolution of the their disputes can help alleviate tension in the region.

Guehenno said the ceasefire on the Line of Control has brought peace, but at the same declined a direct answer on infiltration of militants.

As LoC is 750-km long, it is hard to affirm that there is no infiltration at all into Jammu and Kashmir, he said.

Asked about Pakistan's proposal that UN should run the bus services between Srinagar and Muzafarabad in PoK, he said any role by the UN to facilitate this Confidence Building Measure depends on the consent of both the countries.

"According to my information, India has different position on the subject," he said.

About the cash problems the Department of Peace Keeping Operation was facing in pervious years, he said they have taken some steps in this regard, including the revision of the payscales of the peace-keeping troops and similarly the contributions of the funds has also been increased.

About sending UN peace keeping troops to Iraq, he said no decision has been taken place on this.

First IA flight makes round trip to Pak NEW DELHI, Jan 9 (Agencies): After two years of snapped aviation ties between the two neighbours, an Indian Airlines aircraft today undertook the first trip to Pakistan carrying a thin complement of passengers to and from Lahore.

The flight, IC-845, took off from IGI Airport here at 1345 hours and reached Lahore past 1400 hours.

It returned as IC-846 from the Pakistani city and landed here at 1630 hours.

The aircraft used in the operation was an Airbus A-320.

Officials said the number of passengers in the flight from here was low "because the liberalisation and relaxation of visa procedures are yet to be relaxed (by Pakistan)" and most of the visas issued so far had Wagah border in Punjab as an entry point and not Lahore.

The thin passenger complement was on the expected lines, they added.

However, the passenger load was expected to pick up in the coming days with more publicity and relaxation of Pakistani visa rules, the officials said.

Positive winds blowing in India's environment: PM NEW DELHI, Jan 9 (Agencies): Apparently buoyed by his successful visit to Pakistan, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today said "positive winds" were blowing in India's "external environment." "Sisters and brothers, as you are aware, positive winds are blowing in India's external environment," Vajpayee told a conference of NRIs and Persons of Indian Orgin here.

Vajpayee, who paid a four-day visit to Pakistan to attend the SAARC Summit in Islamabad, also held talks with President Pervez Musharraf following which the two countries decided to hold composite dialogue next month to discuss all bilateral issues, including Jammu and Kashmir.

Vajpayee said the conclusion of a South Asia Free Trade Agreement will herald a new era of trade and economic cooperation in this region.

The accord was signed at the conclusion of the summit of the seven South Asian countries _ India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Maldives.

External Affairs Minister in his address to the conference said "India-Pakistan relations show new signs of promise with a categorical assurance from Pakistan that it will not permit any territory under its control to be used by terrorists.

We have also agreed to start the dialogue process." Pakistan has held out the assurance that it will not permit territory under its control to be used by terrorists, Sinha said.