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CNN Saturday Morning News

Tensions May be Easing Between Pakistan, India

Aired January 05, 2002 - 10:17   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.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: To the standoff between India and Pakistan. There were some signs today that tensions could be easing between the two nuclear rivals. First, there was a handshake, then a meeting between their foreign ministers -- or was there?

CNN's Michael Holmes joins us from the South Asian Summit in Nepal -- Michael.

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You got that right, Marty. Good evening from Nepal, where we can report a very busy, very dramatic in many ways day today. The SAARC Summit, the regional summit of seven Asian nations, south Asian nations, got underway here finally after a delay of 24 hours. And everyone was waiting to hear what the leaders of India and Pakistan would say in their opening remarks.

What we heard form General Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan first up was a commitment to eradicate terrorism on Pakistan's soil. He did the make the distinction, however, that freedom fighters, homegrown freedom fighters, referring to Kashmir there, were not terrorists in Pakistan's view.

Now, at the end of his speech, he made a very dramatic gesture. He left the podium and said that he would extend the hand, the genuine hand, of friendship to his Indian counterpart, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. And Mr. Vajpayee looked a little bit surprised. He did smile. Later on, everybody thought, well, maybe the ice has broken a bit.

Mr. Vajpayee, however, when he got to speak, he also got tough. He said, quite frankly and quite bluntly, that in the past when India has made peace efforts, it's been rewarded with Pakistan's response of violence. He also said that Pakistan needs to do a whole lot more if India is going to be ready to sit down and really talk this thing through.

Disappointment for the Pakistan officials, they certainly thought they'd be doing enough in recent days and weeks to at least be able to sit down and talk about things.

And as you indicated, too, reports denied that the foreign ministers of the two countries sat down one-on-one and had a discussion about it all. A breakthrough if it's true. Pakistan officials say, 100 percent, it happened. Indian officials denied it, saying no, it didn't. There wasn't a private meeting at all -- Marty. SAVIDGE: Well, that's very interesting, Michael. I'm wondering whether this sort of cool reception on the part of the Indian government could be the fact that they are trying to appease public opinion.

HOLMES: Yeah, that's a good point actually. Pakistan, in many ways, General Musharraf, he really was, today, playing to the international audience. He was playing to those leaders who were telling them to get down and sort this out and made the big bold gesture. India, on the other hand, has very much domestic political concerns.

You know, there's a major state election taking place next month in India, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, which is the most popular state in the country. And there's a -- there's an old adage in Uttar Pradesh, which is, whoever rules that state rules the country. The VPE, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee's party is currently in power there, but the polls aren't looking too good. And there's certainly a school of thought here that he's playing to the home audience and to the hawks in his own government, both of whom demand a tough line on Pakistan -- Marty.

SAVIDGE: CNN's Michael Holmes joining us from Kathmandu in Nepal, thanks very much.

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