IPCS Special Report 06, January 2006 INDO-PAK PEACE PROCESS CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS 2004-05 Manjunath KS Research Officer Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies DECEMBER 2005 about the controversial 4,50 MW 30 December 2005 Baglihar hydropower project to World Pakistan Minister for Petroleum and Bank by December 31 following a delay Natural Resources, Amanullah Khan in the provision of certain data about the Jadoon told that the work on Pak-Iran- project by India. India gas pipeline (IPI) project is likely to commence during 2007. President 27 December 2005 Pervez Musharraf claims that India and Pakistan announced that the third Pakistan were currently discussing round of the composite dialogue with through back channel diplomacy "ideas" India at the Foreign Secretary-level like self-governance and would be held in New Delhi on January demilitarisation to resolve the Kashmir 17 and 18. The Foreign Secretaries issue and they would be brought to the would discuss the Kashmir issue and front channel if concrete progress was security-related confidence-building made. measures (CBMs). Pakistan and India are discussing a proposal to demilitarise 29 December 2005 Kashmir and introduce self-governance Pakistan said that the observations by in the region whose ownership is the Indian External Affairs Ministry disputed by the two countries. spokesman on the law and order situation in Balochistan are 26 December 2005 "unwarranted and baseless." Pakistan Pakistan has sought the support of the has once again linked the extension of UN nuclear watchdog IAEA in its quest MFN status to India with the progress for being treated at par with India by on political issues, particularly Kashmir. the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), which controls developing countries' 28 December 2005 access to nuclear technology. Indian and India voiced concern at spiralling Pakistani diplomats are discussing the violence in Pakistan's Balochistan idea of self-governance for divided province and advised Islamabad to Kashmir as proposed by President Gen ''exercise restraint''. It underlined the Pervez Musharraf, a top Indian official need for the Pakistan government to disclosed on Saturday. Indian National concentrate on addressing the Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan told a grievances of the people in the region private TV channel that the discussions through peaceful discussions. were being held in the back channels by Meanwhile, Pakistan will not be able to senior Indian diplomats and their submit answers to technical questions Pakistani counterparts. INDO-PAK PEACE PROCESS CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS 2004-05 25 December 2005 Representatives of NGOs, journalists, 21 December 2005 doctors, advocates, retired judges and The Pak-India Technical Experts notables, from different parts of the meeting for the joint survey of the Sir country took a peace caravan to the Creek - one of the eight areas covered by Pakistan-India Khokhrapar-Monabao Composite Dialogue Process - began on border on 23 December. The caravan 20 December. Surveyor-General of was organized under banner of the Pakistan Maj-Gen Jamilur Rahman Pakistan-India Peoples' Forum for Peace Afridi heads the 12-member team and Democracy (PIPFPD). representing Islamabad while Brig Girish Kumar, Deputy Surveyor- 24 December 2005 General of India, leads the New Delhi Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmud side. Kasuri on Thursday expressed the hope that the third round of Pakistan-India 19 December 2005 dialogue, to be held in New Delhi in In an unusual development in the January 2006, would take the process of Volcker report where at least the former normalisation forward and bring about Indian external minister Natwar Singh a breakthrough on the core issue of has been compelled to say goodbye to Kashmir. politics, a story published by Jang on January 24, 2004 has shaken the Indian 23 December 2005 bureaucracy. The Indian media has gone Islamabad has offered two formulae to to town about the contents of the Jang New Delhi for determining the annual story, which was quoted in a letter the transit fee to be collected by Pakistan then Indian ambassador in Baghdad from India for gas pipeline that would wrote in January 2004 just two months pass through its territory under the before the general elections and over a proposed $7.2 billion Iran-India - year before the Volcker report rocked Pakistan (IPI) gas pipeline. the country. 22 December 2005 18 December 2005 The foreign secretaries of Pakistan and India and Pakistan agreed on 17 India will meet in New Delhi on January December to give a final shape to the 17-18 to initiate the third round of the project structure and framework of the composite dialogue between the two Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline by countries. Foreign Secretary Riaz April 2006, a joint statement issued after Muhammad Khan will head Pakistan's two days of talks said. A tripartite delegation and hold two-day talks with meeting of three Joint (IPI) Working Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran. Groups "may be held" early next year in Taking yet another step to enhance Teheran to discuss issues such as an people-to-people contact, India and integrated feasibility study, project Pakistan today decided to launch the structure and a tripartite framework long-awaited Amritsar-Lahore bus agreement. service from January 20 and Amritsar- Nankana Sahib bus link by 27 February. 17 December 2005 The Indian Union Cabinet has cleared the way for an agreement with Pakistan 2 IPCS Special Report 06 January 2006 for starting a bus service between joint check post. Pakistan and India Amritsar and Nankana Sahib and a trial hope to start third round of the run for the Amritsar-Lahore bus composite dialogue at the foreign sometime this month. India and secretary level in the third week of next Pakistan began discussing brass tacks of month in New Delhi. At a time when the 7 billion dollar Iran-Pakistan-India the Congress government has still not gas pipeline in order to evolve a project nominated a new minister for external structure for its implementation and affairs, Pakistan hopes that a moderate operation. Pakistan is expected to give new face will emerge so that "the year its views on the project structure 2006 could be one of great promises suggested by India, at the third meeting between the two countries." of the Indo-Pak Joint Working Group. After a lull of months Pakistan's 13 December 2005 economic managers have restarted The UN Secretary General has discussion on the most favoured nation appointed Maj Gen Dragutin Repinc of (MFN) status for India with officials Croatia as the head of the UN Military here saying New Delhi is most likely to Observer Group in India and Pakistan get this status in near future. (UNMOGIP). Gen Repinc, 46, will replace Maj Gen Guido Dante Palmieri 16 December 2005 of Italy who left the mission in India and Pakistan opened five crossing September. points along the Line of Control following the 8 October temblor to 12 December 2005 facilitate movement of relief material History was made along the Radcliffe and people on either side, the Indian line, when the much-awaited trial run of Parliament was told on Thursday. the first Amritsar-Lahore bus service Pakistan and India will formally sign an began on 11 December. The bus agreement to effect restoration of the carrying nine passengers crossed over to Khokhrapar-Munabao train link during Pakistan through the Wagah route. a ministerial level meeting in New Delhi Pakistan and India have finalised a draft on 22 December. agreement which will pave the way to restart a ferry service between Karachi 15 December 2005 and Mumbai that was broken off 30 The third meeting of the India-Pakistan years ago. joint working group on the Iran- Pakistan-India gas pipeline project is 11 December 2005 starting on 16 December. Pakistan and The First Amritsar-Lahore bus, on a trial Iran favour early implementation of the run, crossed over to Pakistan through proposed multi-billion gas pipeline, to the land route at the Indo-Pak Wagah carry gas from Iran to Pakistan and border. Pakistan and India have agreed India. to allow each others' ships to carry third country cargo from ports in the two 14 December 2005 countries. The two sides agreed to a A dry run from Lahore to Amritsar was revised Protocol on Shipping after three conducted by Pakistan on Tuesday with days of technical talks in Karachi that a bus carrying eight officials crossing ended on 10 December. into India through the Atari-Wagah 3 INDO-PAK PEACE PROCESS CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS 2004-05 economic and commercial cooperation, 10 December 2005 of the two countries at its meeting in Toeing Pakistan's line, the 57-member New Delhi in the second week of Organisation of Islamic Countries has August. "extended" its support to the "inalienable right" of people of Jammu 6 December 2005 and Kashmir for "self-determination" in The much awaited Amritsar-Lahore bus accordance with the UN resolutions. service is finally scheduled to start from December 23 with the first bus coming 9 December 2005 in from Lahore on that day while the Asserting that the October earthquake first bus from Amritsar will depart on 27 in the Kashmir province on both sides of December. the LoC did help create opportunities to resolve Kashmir issue, Pakistan 5 December 2005 President Pervez Musharraf said that Pakistan has proposed technical-level India's response to Pakistani proposal talks on the Khokrapar-Munnabao rail for self-governance in Jammu and route, linking Sindh with Rajasthan, Kashmir was not positive so far. from 1—15 December. The talks are scheduled to be held in New Delhi. Both 8 December 2005 sides have agreed, in principle, to begin The Muttahida Qaumi Movement on the rail link by 1 January.