New Delhi, July 3: Pakistan has asked for the setting up of an experts’ group on conventional military confidence-building measures, on the lines of the nuclear CBMs, and also suggested that the two sides agree to a tentative timeframe within which the Kashmir issue can be resolved.

The experts’ group on nuclear CBMs helped the two sides to come up with several suggestions, including the formulation that the nuclear capability of India and Pakistan had contributed substantially to bring stability in South Asia. The other suggestions included putting in place a formal agreement on prior notification for ballistic missile test-firing.

A similar experts’ group on conventional military CBMs will help the two sides agree on several measures that can lower the temperature in the region and help strengthen trust and confidence between the two armies, Pakistan felt. The suggestion was made during the recent foreign secretary-levels talks, when Riaz Khokar of Pakistan had substantial discussions with his Indian counterpart Shashank.

Khokar suggested that the experts’ group strengthen existing arrangements like not violating each other’s airspace, ensuring safety of naval vessels and aircraft of the two sides and expanding to other levels the communication links between the directors-general of military operations. Sources said a similar arrangement could be worked out between corps commanders in the Srinagar and Jammu sectors and their Pakistani counterparts.

Pakistan also suggested India stop construction at the Baglihar power project in Jammu and Kashmir till both sides were assured that the project will not affect the neighbour adversely.

India had suggested that the two sides have peace and tranquillity treaties or agreements along the Line of Control — much on the lines of what Delhi has with China at the Line of Actual Control, to avoid incidents and bring down infiltration. It had argued that this can be an improvement on the ceasefire between the two sides in place since November.

However, Pakistan felt this was yet another attempt by India to legitimise the LoC and pave the way for turning it into an official border between the two countries. Islamabad has argued that the LoC is a temporary arrangement and any move to strengthen it weakens Pakistan’s position on Kashmir — particularly its claim on the Kashmir valley.

Though Khokar and his team have not officially rejected the Indian proposal on peace and tranquillity agreement, indications suggest that Pakistan will be most reluctant to accept it.

Pakistan also suggested that the two sides agree to a mechanism on how the decade-old dispute between the two sides can be resolved within a timeframe. It has also proposed that some steps can be agreed to which will involve the Kashmiris in the discussions at some stage of talks on Kashmir.

The Pakistanis have argued that violence in Kashmir despite the substantial fall in infiltration figures suggested that the unrest within the Valley had much to do with an indigenous movement rather than being propped up from outside. It felt that to create a conducive atmosphere India should take certain steps like asking its troops to return to the barracks, suspending combat operations and also taking urgent steps to stop human rights violations in Kashmir.