India offered concession to Pakistan on Kashmir as was indicated by the joint statement issued in Islamabad following the meeting between President General Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee early this month, said The Economist.
Referring to the joint statement agreed between the two leaders, the weekly magazine said, "this implies a recognition by India of Pakistan's interest in any solution to the problem of divided Kashmir, a far cry from its past position that Kashmir was an integral part of India, and that Pakistan should have no say in its resolution.
It said, "Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee have turned away from confrontation. Now they must pick their next step."
However, it cautioned the two sides and referred to the failure of such peace efforts in the past, saying, "but the road to peace on the sub-continent has seen many such hopes collapse in anguish.
"The task now is to move beyond that point, and towards lasting peace," said The Economist while commenting on Pakistan and Indian decision to resume composite dialogue next month.
President Musharraf and Prime Minister Vajpayee, by their handshake, had left "two dreadful years of sabre-rattling and terror behind them," said the magazine.
It had also cautioned the two sides on not allowing their dialogue to drag on as it carried risks in it.
"Northern Ireland looks as though it is sliding into the same category. But talks that drag on for years and years also carry their risks" said the magazine, adding, "Sadly, there is reason to think that Kashmir may fall into this category.
Referring to the vote of confidence by President Musharraf from the Parliament and the four provincial assemblies following an agreement reached between the Government and Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) on the Legal Frame Work Order, the magazine said, it made him a "legitimate president for five years."
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