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Telecom tops Indo-Pak talks
By agencies
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Thursday, 14 July 2005, 19:30 IST
NEW DELHI: During the Indo-Pak talks, telecom appeared to top Pakistan's agenda following the recent breakdown of the SEAMEWE 3 cable system, which was its only communication link to the outside world.
As per the officials statement, closer cooperation in telecom, shipping and aviation was expected to top the agenda during the next round of bilateral discussions.
Discussions had already taken place in areas like promotion of investment in joint ventures and the purchase of 2,000-mega watt electricity from Pakistan for at least five years. The possibility of one country setting up branches of its nationalized banks in the other country was also being explored.
The source revealed that the measures to prevent the piracy of Indian films and music in Pakistan were also being taken up, as is the issue of greater co-operation in information technology, which was put on the backburner after the Kargil standoff.
While there were some signs of progress in the gas pipeline project, there was not much movement on the supply of diesel from India.
A fiber optic cable link between Attari and Lahore or between Mumbai and Wagah via Amritsar was being pursued with a joint feasibility study about to be completed. While joint funding had been agreed upon, the next round of talks will focus on security issues.
The link was expected to help reduce Internet and data leased line costs in Pakistan as also the call tariffs between the two countries, which were among the highest in the world as they were routed through a third country.
With the experiment of a roaming facility proven to be a success, the possibility of a permanent counterpart agreement between mobile operators of the two countries was being explored, DoT officials said.
Officials said that the discussions would consider India's proposal to amend the 1976 bilateral agreement on air services to designate multiple airlines for the operation of scheduled services between the two countries.
Pakistan's proposal for Pakistan International Airline to be allowed to operate seven flights a week to one international airport and seven additional flights to a second international airport on a reciprocal basis will also be discussed.
In the shipping sector, the two sides will consider an amendment to the 1975 protocol for allowing third country vessels to lift India or Pakistan bound cargo and allow flag carriers of both countries to lift cargo for a third country from each other's ports.