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CNN Saturday Morning News
Summit Hopes to Ease Tensions Between India, Pakistan
Aired July 14, 2001 - 07:10 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.
BRIAN NELSON, CNN ANCHOR: The leaders of two rival nuclear nations, India and Pakistan, are in New Delhi this weekend for an historic summit. The talks are aimed at easing tensions over the disputed region of Kashmir, a territory that the nuclear neighbors have fought two of their three wars over.
CNN's New Delhi bureau chief Satinder Bindra has the latest now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SATINDER BINDRA, CNN NEW DELHI BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): For the first time in more than a decade, a Pakistani head of state, General Perves Musharraf, on Indian soil for a state visit. It's a sight many here thought they'd never see. Indians blame General Musharraf for a border war between the nuclear neighbors in 1999. Six hundred Indian soldiers died in that fighting.
Today, soldiers from the same Indian army escorted General Musharraf's limousine to the presidential palace, where he was greeted by the Indian president and prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. After the handshakes, a full ceremonial guard of honor from an army General Musharraf and his soldiers have been fighting against for years.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We must traverse the high road of peace together, so that we are able to adjust the principal adversary that faces the two countries, which is (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
BINDRA: Later in the day, General Musharraf signaled his intention for peace by visiting the cremation site of Mahatma Gandhi, one of the world's most famous apostles of nonviolence.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fact that the army general, who is the president of Pakistan, has come here to talk peace itself is a great, great day, and a good sign for both the nations.
BINDRA: As part of his hectic first day in India, General Musharraf also attended a lunch hosted by Prime Minister Vajpayee. When he meets the Indian prime minister on Sunday for full summit- level talks by the side of the Taj Mahal, General Musharraf wants to focus the discussion on Kashmir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We believe that Kashmir is the core issue. We certainly hope that our Indian neighbors will agree with that.
BINDRA: In the past 10 days of confrontation between Indian security forces and militants fighting for independence there, 150 people have already been killed.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BINDRA: Brian, at the moment, the Pakistani president is at a tea party. It's a very controversial tea party, because the Pakistanis here have invited several separatist Kashmiri leaders. India says it's very upset at that. Indeed, some senior politicians are also boycotting this event.
Joining us to talk about this event is Pakistani journalist Ikram Sehgal. Ikram, do you think the Indians are making too much about this tea party when there are larger issues to discuss, like Kashmir?
IKRAM SEHGAL, PAKISTANI JOURNALIST: I think so. I think the need to concentrate on the larger issues and not get involved in teacups. I think it is the privilege of the Pakistani high commissioner and the Pakistani president to invite whom he feels like. And he's the host, and that is his privilege.
So I don't think why the Indians are so upset about it.
BINDRA: Ikram, do you think this summit can really resolve the tricky question of Kashmir? Thousands of lives have been lost. What do you make of this effort now?
SEHGAL: I think it will be too much to ask to have this Kashmir issue resolved in one meeting. But what could happen is that a structure for negotiation could be set up, a mechanism which would be institutionalized so that problems which arise from time to time would solve -- have proper mechanism for solution, rather than go back and wait for months and years before these problems are addressed.
BINDRA: Ikram, what's the mood in Pakistan now that they've seen pictures of General Parvais Musharraf shaking hands with the Indian president with the Indian prime...
(AUDIO GAP)
SEHGAL: I think the Pakistani public took it very well. You know, I mean, it is a fact that Musharraf, an unelected leader, has come to the full mandate of his people, whereas Vajpayee, the elected leader of the world's largest democracy, seems to have trouble having a mandate from his own party. The Pakistani people are really excited, and I think even if there's some progress, you know, you should keep the threshold of negotiation down, the expectation down. If there is some progress, we are on our way.
BINDRA: Ikram Sehgal, thanks very much for joining us here.
Back to you, Brian.
NELSON: All right, thank you. CNN's New Delhi bureau chief, Satinder Bimbra -- Bindra, I'm sorry; and we apologize for that technical problem we had.
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