***Whatever the equation between the governments, people-to-people contacts are widening. I found great desire at every level to meet Indians or to travel to India I have gathered the same feeling among the people in India The main hitch is a visa

PAKISTAN Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is waiting for the next government in New Delhi after elections because he is keen on resuming negotiations between the two countries. "Whichever set-up assumes power In India I want to pursue the initiative that 1 took during the government of Janab Gujral Shahib to normalise relations." he told me when I met him at Islamabad the other day.

One year in office. Nawaz Sharif has several fights to quell. His ally. Awami National Party, has threatened to walk out if he does not rename its base, the North Western Frontier Province, to Pakhtoon-khwa. resurrecting the prepartition demand for Pakhtoonistan. His main opponent. Benazir Bhutto, continues to accuse him of all types of misdeeds, recently of staying in power with the help of the army.

His election promise to improve the lot of the poor is far from fulfilled because the economy has shown little improvement. In fact, he contemplates to increase the price of petrol, gas and electricity to fine! more money. Although the second installment by the IMF will help him for the time being, yet it is not more than a palliative. This may well be the compulsion for him to improve relations with India so that what he saves on defence can be spent on development. How promising are the prospects of a friendly India after New Delhi settles to a new government is the question which occupies his mind.

Indeed, the entire Pakistan is looking towards India with bated breath, wanting to know who will come to power. The compulsions are more political than economic. Still the government in New Delhi matters a lot to them. They would like a non-BJP set-up. But many among them say: "We do not mind the BJP". This reflects more desperation than acceptance. What they mean is that they are prepared for the worse. Some reason it out to make a case that an enduring solution to Kashmir will be possible only when a Hindu party like the BJP heads the 82-per cent Hindu India.'

Nawaz Sharifs regret is that he could not make any headway with Prime Minister Inder Gu-jral. "He is a goodman but he could not deliver politically "

says the Pakistan Prime Minister. He feels that Gujral had too many masters to placate and. therefore, could not act. His charge — and he plays it down — is that Gujral retracted from the understanding he gave him at Male on constituting a separate working group to discuss Kashmir.

In the face of New Delhi's denial, it is difficult to assess who is to blame. However, Information Minister Mushahid Hussain. who was also present during my interview with Nawaz Sharif, claimed that Gujral admitted before them about his helplessness". But the Nawaz Sharif government may have been influenced by another factor: BJP leader Jaswant Singh reportedly advised Pakistan not to settle anything with the Gujral government because the BJP was coming to power and it would not be accepting anything to which it was not a party. Congress, too, I was given to understand. indicatea to Islamabad that they could not afford to give Gujral the credit of solving Kashmir if that was in the offing.

All this may be rationalisation on the part of Islamabad. But there is no doubt that the Nawaz Sharif government appears to have accepted the situation where the solution of Kashmir is distant. That does not meant that Islamabad will lessen its other efforts'. But it means that the his government has come to face the fact that political parties in India have no difference of opinion over Kashmir — sometning which Pakistan High Commissioner Ashraf Jahangir Qazi reportedly conveyed to his government during his pre-poll visit to Islamabad.

My impression is that the Nawaz Sharif government would feel satisfied if the talks on Kashmir were resumed. He has no time frame In mind. I do not mind how long it takes provided we begin to discuss Kashmir." he told me three months earlier in an interview. His position remains more or less the same. But he will set the ball rolling when a new government is sworn in at New Delhi.

Asked if the army would agree to his approach, he said there was no question of the armed forces interfering. "I am under no pressure from them." he said. After having effected amendments to the constitution. curbing the power of the President to dismiss the Prime Minister and to dissolve the National Assembly and state legislatures. Nawaz Sharif feels confident. Several Intellectuals and editors told me that the phase of martial law in Pakistan was over. "People will not easily accept it as the armed forces themselves realise the futility of this step." they argue.

The situation that Pakistan faces at present strengthens such a thinking. Economically, the country is in great distress. The IMF has helped it to stave off the crisis. America, which controls the IMF strings, prefers a faltering democracy to martial law rule. Nawaz Sharifs anxiety to make up with India is not because of Washington's prodding alone. With his business background, he firmly believes that economic links are the sinews of friendship.

"I won elections on good relations with India," said Nawaz Sharif. "I shall adopt the same plank if and when Pakistan goes to the polls again." This is true because some political leaders are afraid that left to him. Nawaz Sharif would go "to any extent to foster good relations with India." "This is not to the advantage of Pakistan.' they say. Nonetheless, they regret that "Gujral failed to exploit the opportunity."

My feeling is that the climate in Pakistan for talks with India is still favourable. But Kashmir will need to be discussed. Even otherwise. New Delhi is committed to do so under the Shimla Agreement, which lays down that the two sides will hold talks to find a final settlement. Nawaz Sharif gave me the impression that he

would be willing to discuss all issues, including trade and travel, provided Kashmir was one of them. He was prepared for a simultaneous dialogue on all subjects. And it is quite possible that he would implement the recommendations of such working groups as finished their task earlier than the group on Kashmir.

Whatever the equation between the governments, people-to-people contacts are widening. 1 found great desire at every

level to meet Indians or to travel to Indig. I have gathered ■ the same feeling among the

people in India. The main hitch is a visa. New Delhi, even after the Gujral doctrine of unilateral gestures, is as cussed in issuing visas as Islamabad is. Even after the grant of visas, police harass visitors in both countries. Still the enthusiasm has not waned any way.

Scores of Punjabis from India attended the Basant festivities in Lahore on February 22. This festival of pre-partition days has lost popularity in India. But the Punjabis. 67 per cent of Pakistan's population, celebrate it with great gusto. Feasts and kiteflying continue for two days and two nights In main cities of Punjab. Tnere is

so much ostentatiousness that even the glitter of Diwall looks pale. The expenditure runs into crores of rupees. A kite alone sells for Rs. 500. Floodlights are used to fly the kites. Thin wires are replacing the thread, to (he. detrttnerrt of computers. This ' has also resulted in the failure ‘ of power too often.

"You still call tis fundamentalists?" remarked a friend when I described my amazement over the extravagance and the display of fashions after visiting half a dozen parties. But here too. in the midst of loud music, several people asked me: "What will happen at the polls?" I evaded the question by saying that it was a toss-up. Still the number of people who strained their ears to hear my reply were many. It showed their interest, nay. their concern. I felt i s if they realised that the com lexion of government at New )elhi would affect them as well.