Nambiar, Haq prepare ground for summit

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, JUNE 4. The Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Mr. Vijay K. Nambiar, today called on the Pakistan Foreign Secretary, Mr. Inamul Haq, and held what could be termed a ``preliminary round'' of discussions on the proposed summit meeting between the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the Pakistan military ruler and Chief Executive, Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

This was the first meeting of Mr. Nambiar with the Pakistan Foreign Secretary after Mr. Vajpayee extended the surprise invitation to Gen. Musharraf. According to sources in the Foreign Ministry, Mr. Haq informed Mr. Nambiar that the dates for the proposed visit of Gen. Musharraf were yet to be finalised. There was no indication from Pakistan on the agenda for the summit meeting.

As a senior official in the Pakistan Foreign Office put it, ``the truth of the matter is that everything is still very tentative. We are yet to give a serious thought to the structure and substantive nature of the dialogue at the highest level.''

In the course of his interaction, Mr. Haq is believed to have said that with the postponement of the SAARC Standing Committee at Colombo, India and Pakistan had missed out an opportunity to establish high-level contacts.

Indications are that a team of officials from the Pakistan Foreign Office would be in New Delhi soon to chalk out the nitty- gritty of Gen. Musharraf's visit.

Of course, the most important thing for Pakistan is to work, obviously in consultation with New Delhi, on the agenda of the summit meeting.

A clear picture on the agenda from Pakistan could be expected to emerge after the Corps Commanders meeting at Rawalpindi on June 8.

To be presided over by Gen. Musharraf, the meet is expected to focus on the Indian invitation and discuss various scenarios.

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