Pakistan-India ties: Chaophraya dialogue calls for friendly relations

Islamabad:
Any act of violence bearing impact on the bilateral relations should be investigated objectively and professionally, before making a decision about their nature and origin of the perpetrators. All formal and informal channels of government should be used more effectively to share information in real time.
This was agreed and recommended by former diplomats, editors, journalists, academics and analysts from India and Pakistan, which met in Colombo on the 10th dialogue on the Chaophraya 2 and 3 March, organized by the Institute of Jinnah (JI) and the Australia India Institute (AII).
While welcoming the recent decision to expand the trade between India and Pakistan, a key opinion between the two countries to continue making efforts to keep the atmosphere of peace and stability on the basis of ongoing dialogue. Conference participants noted the restrictive visa procedures between the two countries and called for its relaxation to the increased people to people contact.
They also agreed on the visit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Pakistan will go a long way towards achieving greater stability in the bilateral dialogue, and will enhance the pace of progress on outstanding issues between India and Pakistan.
On terrorism, the conference stressed that both countries should establish mechanisms for the real and effective cooperation to address terrorist activities, while the restrictions should be implemented by Governments of both countries, as well as the media, as a result of such acts of violence.
Noting that the Jammu and Kashmir is a complex issue, the conference stressed the need for direct involvement and attention of heads of governments of both countries. Existing confidence-building measures in the disputed territory should be implemented in letter and spirit, and should be expanded, they recommended.
On water safety issues between the two countries, experts have suggested that India and Pakistan continue to work in the Indus Water Treaty (IWT). Meetings of the Commission of Indus Water must be carried out more than one mandatory meeting per year.
Talk of the media, the participants agreed that it was necessary that the Pakistanis and Indians have benefited from well-informed and impartial reporting of news.