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CNN Live Saturday

India, Pakistan Meet at SAARC Summit

Aired January 05, 2002 - 15:11   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: After weeks of war talk, the leaders of nuclear rivals India and Pakistan came together at a South Asian summit in Nepal. It was a dramatic moment for cameras.

And CNN's Michael Holmes is in the capital of Kathmandu.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Some much-anticipated speeches here in Kathmandu today, the opening of the SAARC regional summit, and all ears turning to the leaders of India and Pakistan.

General Pervez Musharraf was up first from Pakistan, and he made a speech condemning terrorism, pledging to wipe it out from his country. And then he made a dramatic, some say theatrical, gesture when he stood up and said this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PAKISTANI PRESIDENT: Let us together commence a journey of peace, harmony and progress in South Asia. I thank you all.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: The Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee smiled and took Mr. Musharraf's hand. And people thought that perhaps this was a breaking of the ice.

However, when Mr. Vajpayee stood up to speak, he had this to say:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE, INDIAN PRIME MINISTER: I am glad that President Musharraf extended a hand of friendship to me. I have shaken his hand in your presence. Now President Musharraf must follow this gesture by not permitting any activity in Pakistan or any territory in its control today which enables terrorists to perpetrate mindless violence in India.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HOLMES: In essence, Mr. Vajpayee saying a handshake was not enough; that Pakistan needed to do more, and wipe out any form of cross-border terrorism.

Mr. Musharraf has made it clear in his speech, just a few minutes earlier, that he considers Kashmiri militants to be freedom fighters and not terrorists.

Pakistan has been saying all along that it wants to meet with India and discuss these issues; India saying the time is not conducive to talks at the moment. However, tonight, sources from the Pakistan side telling us that the Pakistan foreign minister had, indeed, met one-on-one with his Indian counterpart. It was at a meeting of all foreign ministers attending this summit -- there are seven of them. But the meeting, according to our Pakistan sources, said -- was that this meeting was, indeed, private. They stepped aside and they talked at some length -- for more than 20 minutes, in fact.

Now, the Indian side is saying no substantive discussions took place. They pointed out this was not a private occasion, that other people were present. Pakistan sees its differently.

Michael Holmes, CNN, Kathmandu, Nepal.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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