In a bid to melt the ice between Indo-Pak relations, the first-ever delegation of Pakistani MPs crossed the RedCliffe line from Wagah border today. The peace mission will extend invitations to local MPs and MLAs to visit Islamabad. Muslim League leader Ishaaq Khan Khakhwani, who led the 13-member delegation, described the visit as a positive step towards a composite dialogue on core issues of territorial dispute, in addition to the ones on trade and resumption of various routes of communication between the two countries. Senator from Baluchistan Sarvar Khan Kakkar said: ‘‘We are neither here for the diplomatic dialogue on strategic issues nor to pass our opinion on controversies like Kashmir and allegations and counter-allegations of terrorism and infiltration. We are here only to pave way for final diplomatic dialogues between India and Pakistan which is, of course, a job of the two governments and the respective heads.’’ Senator from North-West Frontier Province Shuzaa-ul-Mulq said: ‘‘We had planned our visit about two months ago. We cannot expect the 50-year-old contentious issues to be solved with only a single visit, but it’s a step towards the same.’’ Shehnaaz Sheikh, MP from Karachi, said the fundamentalist and separatist forces are present on both sides of Wagah and the need of the peace mission is to fight the same in both countries. ‘‘Though sports can promote goodwill between the two nations, unfortunately the matches between the two are viewed as a real war, killing the spirit of sportsmanship and defying the very purpose of holding games,’’ MLA Shakeila Rashid of the Pakistan Peoples’ Party said. In addition to an interaction with MPs in Delhi, the team has planned visits to Jaipur, Ajmer, Agra, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai and Mumbai. They will also meet former prime minister I.K. Gujral, who was instrumental in making this visit a reality, on May 12. Amid slogans of Hind-Pak mitrata amar rahein, the Pakistani delegation walked in carrying Urdu banners like ‘‘Aman ke rahein khol do (open the doors of peace)’’. The delegates visited the Golden Temple to pay respects at the sanctum-sanctorum, but did not get time to scribble their comments in the visitors’ book. The team, which has a dozen MPs, will stay in India for nine days. The members were welcomed by Indo-Pak People’s Forum in Amritsar.
