US embassy cable - 05NEWDELHI2226

C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 002226 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/22/2015 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, IN, PK, INDO-PAK 
SUBJECT: LOOKING TO MUSHARRAF VISIT, MEA UPBEAT ON INDO-PAK 
 
REF: NEW DELHI 1736 
 
Classified By: PolCouns Geoff Pyatt, for Reasons 1.4 (B, D) 
 
1.  (C) Summary: Recently ensconced MEA Joint Secretary 
(Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran) Dilip Sinha was largely upbeat 
on Indo-Pak relations during a March 22 introductory meeting 
with PolCouns and Poloff, especially with regard to the 
Indo-Pak cricket series and the anticipated April 16-17 visit 
of Pakistan President Musharraf to New Delhi.  Sinha offered 
an unusually positive view of Musharraf as a leader who could 
help advance the peace process as long as he does not 
"overplay his hand" as at the Agra Summit in July 2001. 
Sinha and his predecessor, Arun K. Singh, also reported on 
recent irritants in the Indo-Pak relationship, alleging that 
Indian diplomats in Islamabad were under resumed harassment 
by Pakistani intelligence after a long hiatus. 
Encouragingly, he did not seek to project these irritants on 
to the broader political relationship.  End Summary. 
 
1.  (C) In a March 22 introductory meeting with PolCouns and 
Poloff, MEA Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran) 
Dilip Sinha offered the following nuggets on Indo-Pak 
relations: 
 
-- On the Indo-Pak cricket series, Sinha agreed that the 
matches were going well and that the Indian media coverage 
continued to be largely positive.  Sinha did not raise recent 
Indian news reports that some Pakistani visitors had 
overstayed their visas.  He agreed with our assessment that 
popular enthusiasm on both sides was making it harder to 
return to a path of hostility. 
 
-- With regard to the anticipated April 16-17 visit to New 
Delhi of Pakistan President Musharraf, Sinha confirmed that 
there would be "a meal" and "a working program," but that 
details were not yet nailed down for the visit, which would 
be "less than 24 hours long." 
 
-- When asked by PolCouns when the Indo-Pak Composite 
Dialogue would resume, Sinha responded that, although the 
talks are to run from April through July, specific dates had 
not yet been set.  He added that the pending Musharraf visit 
was diverting MEA resources away from larger Indo-Pak issues, 
implying there will be little work on the Composite Dialogue 
until after April 17. 
 
2.  (C) In response to PolCouns' question of how the Indian 
High Commission in Islamabad views Musharraf (noting the 
presence in MEA of High Commissioner Shiv Shankar Menon), 
Sinha observed that Musharraf wanted to play a significant 
role in the Indo-Pak peace process.  "If he can be 
reasonable, it will contribute to the process," but Musharraf 
should not "push beyond what is rational."  In this context, 
Arun Singh commented that Musharraf had "overplayed his hand 
at Agra."  Overall, Sinha allowed that Musharraf was keeping 
the Composite Dialogue moving despite "dissident voices" in 
Islamabad, especially on the Kashmir issue. 
 
3.  (C) Turning to recent irritants, Sinha reported without 
specifics that Islamabad was equivocating on the proposed 
Lahore-Amritsar-Nankana Sahib bus service, and noted that 
while Indian fishermen who strayed into Pakistani territorial 
waters are being released from Pakistani jails, their boats 
continue to be held, consistent with a recent announcement 
from Islamabad to that effect.  On issues out of the public 
eye, Sinha complained that after a long hiatus, Indian 
diplomats in Islamabad were again being harassed by Pakistani 
intelligence operatives, although he presented no specifics. 
Encouragingly, he did not suggest that any of these setbacks 
would retard the broader Indo-Pak dialogue. 
MULFORD