The News, September 7, 2005
Kasuri-Shalom meeting raises great expectations
Muhammad Saleh Zaafir
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Israel's clandestine contacts are decades old and not one decade alone. The successive governments did consider the option for having diplomatic ties with Israel but somehow it could not materialize. Both the governments did have understanding on various counts and it was never made public.
This was disclosed Tuesday by foreign minister Mian Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri while talking to The News at Chaklala joint headquarters at a reception hosted by General Muhammad Ehasanul Haq Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff committee (JCSC) in connection with defence of Pakistan day.
The foreign minister did not spell out the details of his meeting with his Israeli counterpart saying that they are confidential. However this correspondent has come to know through reliable sources that the two foreign ministers had two sessions of talks in Istanbul's Four Season hotel's first floor. The first round took place at the working dinner where the Turkish senior officials were also present while the second round took place the following day in the afternoon and it was without any person other than of Pakistan and Israel. Soft drinks were served and later the two ministers had one-to-one brief meeting. Pakistan's ambassador for Turkey General Iftikhar Shah and Khalid Mahmood director general foreign minister's office took part from Pakistan's side. The latter attended it as note-taker. The whole conversation has been recorded and the same has been preserved for future references.
"Why was it so that you had to take 58 long years for establishing public contact with the state of Israel?" It was the first question that was asked by the Israeli foreign minister Silvan Shalom at the outset of the interaction. Foreign minister Khurshid Kasuri responded with a broad smile and explained the circumstances responsible for it. The Israeli minister threw another question abruptly and asked why Pakistan was more Palestinian than Palestinians and more Arab than Arabs. The foreign minister of Pakistan gave the whole account of his country's association with Arab and Palestinian world. "Pakistan would continue to support the cause of the both as it is based on principles," Foreign minister Kasuri replied. Israel's minister was of the view that Arabs and Palestinians have never supported Pakistan for its cause with the amount of enthusiasm Pakistan had been showing for them. On the contrary Israel did not ever oppose Pakistan on international forums like an enemy.
Sources said that Israel's foreign minister out rightly denied an impression that at any point of time Israel had planned to attack Pakistan's nuclear facilities and for the purpose Israeli air force had scrambled. He said this in response to a query by the foreign minister of Pakistan. In the absence of direct communication such misunderstandings do crop up. Israel had conveyed to Pakistan immediately through another country that none of its planes had ever flown to hit Pakistan's installations. Pakistan should find the reasons of such rumour mongering in its own area, he said without pin pointing any country.
Pakistan's foreign minister expressed Islamabad's reservations about Israel's out of proportion cooperation with India for military hardware production and provision. The Israeli foreign minister assured Pakistan's foreign minister that his country was prepared to extend similar cooperation to Pakistan in defence field. "The scientists and engineers produced by our two countries can do miracles through mutual cooperation as we have the best talent in our youngsters," the Israeli minister vowed. Our meeting has established de facto ties between the two countries and it would have been better if the ties could be given de jure shape, the Israeli minister suggested.
He assured Kasuri that people in Israel are keen to have close and friendlier relationship with Pakistan. Once the ties are established these would not be restricted to mere formal relationship but I am sure that they would be turned into friendship, he added. Israel has the technology to transform Pakistan's agriculture into grain house of Asia once again and through exploring sub-soil deposits with Israel's help, Pakistan could be an affluent country without much delay.
Israel's foreign minister did express his reservations about Pakistan's missile and nuclear programme. Foreign minister Khurshid Kasuri told his Israeli counterpart that Pakistan's defence mechanism has been its traditional needs specific and Islamabad did not look beyond this spectrum. Pakistan's minimum deterrence is for its defence requirements and it does not have an aggressive posture.
Sources said that the Israeli foreign minister did suggest a meeting to be held between President General Pervez Musharraf and Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharon soon. Mian Kasuri did not rule out the possibility of it but made it clear to him that it depends on the immediate future developments.
The shake hands meeting of the two foreign ministers will have great positive impact on the atmosphere of address of President General Pervez Musharraf to the US-Jewish Congress in New York on 17th of this month. It will be the gathering of the richest people of the United States who can bring about positive changes in the economy of Pakistan at unimaginable pace. If President of Pakistan invites them to make investment in Pakistan and to visit the country, diplomatic observers are of the opinion that they would not hesitate to respond in encouraging manner. The draft of the speech of President General Pervez Musharaf is being drawn up carefully for the occasion. It will be an historic address and greatly help in changing future course of inter-faith relationship and elimination of terror from the globe.
In the meanwhile sources revealed that none of the countries from the Muslim world and friendly countries has received the historic shake hands negatively. Foreign secretary Riaz Muhammad Khan gathered the reaction of six countries including Iran. "Iran heard the news without offering any comment in negative tone" the sources disclosed. Palestinian leadership has been misquoted by a section of media but its reaction too was not negative, the sources said.
Pakistan has decided to keep its future links with Israel as low-key affairs and next move would be made after calculating the reaction within and without, the sources added.
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