Preparing ground for normalisation of relations with Islamabad before a ‘‘decisive and conclusive’’ dialogue, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today decided to appoint Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan and restore civil aviation links on a reciprocal basis. Partially rolling back post-December 13 elements of coercive diplomacy, Vajpayee made it clear that this would be his third and final effort at improving bilateral relations with Pakistan. ‘‘Now whatever happens will be decisive and this will be my third and last effort. I am confident that I will succeed. we want to give peace another chance,’’ the Prime Minister told Parliament. Vajpayee’s bold initiative that puts the onus on Islamabad for creating ‘‘conducive’’ atmosphere for “sustained dialogue” was positively responded by Pakistan, which announced restoration of full diplomatic ties with India. Vajpayee also allayed fears of Congress member Shivraj Patil on a report that quoted the US civil administrator in Iraq, Jay Garner, saying that a permanent solution to Kashmir would be in place by 2004. Vajpayee said: ‘‘I have seen the report but it is not correct to say that it is the US point of view. Kashmir is a bilateral issue and no third party would be allowed to mediate.’’ However, Vajpayee maintained that India was committed to improving relations with Pakistan and ‘‘willing to grasp every opportunity for doing so.’’ On a poetic note, Prime Minister said: ‘‘Andhera hain par deepak jalana kab mana hain (when there is darkness, what stops us from lighting a lamp).’’ Vajpayee, however, responded to Congress MP Natwar Singh’s apprehensions that Indo-Pak relations were ‘‘accident-prone and devilishly complex’’ on a firm note. Replying to a question on Pakistan Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali’s invitation, Vajpayee said: ‘‘I was unable to accept the invitation.’’ Giving details of his telephone conversation with Jamali, he made it clear that a sustained dialogue with Pakistan ‘‘necessarily requires an end to cross-border terrorism and dismantling of its infrastructure.’’ Linking the improvement of bi-lateral relations with regional trade and economic cooperation, Vajpayee said he had emphasised to Jamali that agreements arrived at the Kathmandu SAARC summit last year ‘‘must be implemented.’’ Admitting that he had undertaken a big responsibility, Vajpayee said that it was his belief that India and Pakistan should live together. ‘‘Mujhe katghare main khada kiya hain aur poocha ja raha hain ki baat ki kyon. (My friends (in the party) have put me in the dock for talking to Pakistan) I am telling them that this will be my last effort.’’ On the vexed issue of PoK, Vajpayee said: ‘‘We will discuss this issue (PoK) during our talks in an atmosphere of friendship. There should be neither a fight nor a proxy war over it. the past should give us encouragement to move forward . and we should not be chained by it.’’ The Prime Minister used the opportunity to remind US President George Bush that the war against terrorism had not been won as there were ‘‘many more terrorist dens’’ that humanity had to conquer. Referring to reports that Pakistan would raise the Kashmir issue in the UN Security Council, Vajpayee said that India would say that this was against the decision of Security Council as Pakistan was bound by the Shimla pact that advocates bilateralism. Besides giving the broad parameters of his peace moves, Vajpayee also answered queries from members in the Rajya Sabha, particularly Natwar Singh who raked up Kargil, Lahore and Agra. Singh said that Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf should have telephoned Vajpayee as Jamali did not have executive powers. ‘‘You (Vajpayee) are executive PM, Jamali is not. he reports to Musharraf,” Singh said. He wondered if the Indian foreign policy was reduced to being episodical where past intitiatives are taken and then promptly forgotten. On his query whether Harsh Bhasin was being appointed as India’s new high commissioner, Vajpayee said that the new High Commissioner would be appointed through due process. The Prime Minister also made it clear that he had still not decided on Pakistan MPs delegation visiting India and talked about the need for proper environment. To a question by Congress MP Rajiv Shukla that whether resumption of cricketing ties would be part of the bilateral talks, Vajpayee cryptically replied: ‘‘Main cricket, cricket walaon par chodata hoon (I leave cricket to those handling the game.’’
