Kashmir truce gets cautious welcome

Newspapers in both India and Pakistan see the Kashmir ceasefire as a positive move but wonder where things will go from here.

Indian papers say no long-term peace can hold until "infiltration" from Pakistan stops.

Editorials in Pakistan insist the "core issues" around Kashmir must be addressed in any future talks.

In declaring a cease-fire on the auspicious occasion of the Eid, Pakistan might have kept in view the success of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation [SAARC] meeting or acted under western pressure. But this has led to hope among the people of the two countries that the guns will remain silent forever... There is still one obstacle in the way, which the Indian Army has pointed out -- infiltration from Pakistan must be stopped. The ceasefire cannot last long until this is assured.

The Hindustan - India

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At what appears to be an incredible pace of diplomatic communication, Pakistan and India have responded positively to each other's peace moves... Given this pace of positive exchanges, one can be cautiously optimistic on this score in spite of the accident-prone nature of the Indo-Pakistan relationship. One hopes that what happened on Monday and Tuesday will turn out to be an irreversible process and that the two countries will continue to move forward toward full normalisation of relations.

The Dawn - Pakistan

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[Pakistan] is under immense pressure from the United States and other influential nations to stop cross-border terrorism, which is becoming difficult to ignore, because there are several types of aids attached to it. Whatever the reasons might have been, an initiative for peace is always welcome. But India cannot forget its bitter experiences while accepting this proposal. When the valleys and passes close during winter due to snow, infiltration becomes difficult but does not stop altogether. The infiltration is then done under the guise of false firing at the border. Therefore, India will have to be alert against infiltration of terrorists.

Navbharat Times - India

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Pakistan has wanted to resolve differences with New Delhi, for the military rivalry between the two countries continues to divert their scarce resources from their peoples' welfare to the wasteful activity of procuring costly weapons. The unilateral ceasefire along with the announcement of a number of other CBMs [confidence building measures] by Mr Jamali is the expression of a desire for peace. There is however a strong realisation in Pakistan that such CBMs alone would not improve relations between the two countries as long as the core issue of Kashmir remains unaddressed. For this the Kashmiri people have to be provided an opportunity to exercise their right of self determination in a plebiscite under UN auspices.

The Nation - Pakistan

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The two countries had come to the table several times in the past, but they parted ways before any conclusion could be reached. Continued obstinacy and past experiences can both overshadow the talks. In order to take this beginning to a happy end, it is necessary, therefore, to bury the past and adopt a more generous attitude in the future... If Pakistan makes a positive gesture and ends infiltration to pave the way for a peaceful dialogue, the prospect of permanent peace in the valley will become bright. But Pakistan's attitude is contradictory, which leads to the fear that the hopes may be dashed this time also.

Dainik Bhaskar - India

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Pakistan cannot make unilateral gestures ad infinitum and the ball is very definitely in India's court now. Of course, the international community's posturing on South Asia and Kashmir does not encourage movements towards dialogue and peace. The US supply and approval of sales of destabilising weapon systems to India is a major deterrent to peace in South Asia... While gestures like the unilateral ceasefire are welcome steps, Pakistan has to expose Indian intransigence on Kashmir in particular but also on dialogue in general.

The News - Pakistan

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.