Agra Summit: India and Pakistan raise old issues

The summit in Agra between Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf and India's Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee ends with the two sides failing to reach an agreement.

BBC News Online looks at the deadlock in Agra, and some of the key events leading up to the most serious round of discussions between the neighbouring nations in more than a decade.

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17 July 2001

The news is closely followed in Indian-administered Kashmir

India and Pakistan play down their failure to agree at the Agra summit, as Kashmiri militants warn they will step up attacks. The two countries have fought two wars over Kashmir and the issue threatened to become a nuclear flashpoint in a conflict in 1999.

 The BBC's Linda Duffin reports

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16 July 2001

Both sides hoped the talks would improve relations

The Agra summit collapses as India and Pakistan fail to reach agreement over the disputed territory of Kashmir. There was no common ground on the sovereignty of the mountainous region, which has divided them for over 50 years.

 The BBC's Jill McGivering in Agra

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15 July 2001

The leaders held a long one-to-one talk

The Indian prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and President Musharraf of Pakistan have had what both sides say was a cordial and frank exchange at their summit meeting. Few details have emerged, but reports say the meeting covered security issues and the balance of nuclear power as well as the crucial question of the disputed territory of Kashmir.

 The BBC's Susannah Price reports

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14 July 2001

Hours before Musharraf's arrival, Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged fire in Kashmir

Pakistan's President, Pervez Musharraf, arrives in Delhi for three days of talks with the Indian Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee. It is the first summit between the two countries for more than two years. President Musharraf said he was looking forward to having frank and substantial talks on the dispute over Kashmir but Prime Minister Vajpayee, says the status of Kashmir is non-negotiable.

 The BBC's Jill McGivering reports

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Kashmir conflict

Indian soldier on patrol in Kashmir

British India was divided up into two independent nations, India and Pakistan, in 1947. The two countries have been at loggerheads ever since. The problems caused by the partition, particularly the administration of the troubled border region of Kashmir, will be high on the agenda at the India-Pakistan summit. The BBC's Andrew Whitehead reports on the history of relations between these uneasy neighbours.

 Click here to listen

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June 2001

General Musharraf's credibility in Delhi will be bolstered by his new role

Pakistan's military leader, General Pervez Musharraf, moves to consolidate his grip on power by naming himself president while remaining head of the army. He promises that general elections will be held by the October 2002 deadline set by the country's Supreme Court.

 The BBC's Zaffar Abbas reports

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 The BBC's Suzy Price profiles General Pervez Musharraf

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May 2001

Prime Minister Vajpayee invites General Musharraf to visit India "at his early convenience"

An Indian invitation for Pakistan to hold talks with Prime Minister Vajpayee is welcomed by Islamabad. The reaction to an offer of serious dialogue is tempered by Delhi's decision to end a six-month-old unilateral ceasefire in Kashmir.

 The BBC's Mike Wooldridge reports

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 The BBC's Jill Mcgivering examines how the Indian Prime Minister might play this landmark meeting

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April 2001

Kashmir's sovereignty has been the cause of military tension since 1947

The Indian government begins discussions on the future of the disputed province of Kashmir, while police and militants fight in the city of Srinagar. Pakistan-based Muslim militant groups are not invited to attend the talks, raising doubts over the prospects for real progress.

 The BBC's Mary Jane Baxter reports

 In a special report for the BBC's Correspondent programme, Phil Rees documents the history of the tensions in Kashmir

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November 2000

The Line of Control between India and Pakistan is one of the world's most closely observed borders

India calls a halt to its offensive against Muslim separatist groups in Kashmir during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee says he hopes the gesture would be fully appreciated and that peace would prevail. Separatists dismiss the move as a ploy.

 The BBC's Jill McGivering reports

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October 1999

Mr Sharif is blamed for sparking the military coup

Armed forces loyal to General Pervez Musharraf stage a coup in Pakistan, deposing Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's civilian government. Soldiers close down the country's main airports and take over state radio and television in what is claimed to be an attempt to stabilise the country.

 The BBC's Owen Bennett-Jones reports

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May 1999

India's military action in Kargil is the most serious in 20 years

India launches a massive military offensive against militant separatists in Indian-administered Kashmir, including the first air strikes in 20 years. The offensive leads to 10 weeks of intense fighting that bring Pakistan and its neighbour close to war.

 The BBC's Owen Bennett-Jones reports

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April 1999

The Shaheen is the first in a new series of missiles

Tensions between Pakistan and India increase as both countries test new missile systems. Despite claims to the contrary, the primary objective of both India and Pakistan is to remind the other of their growing nuclear capability.

 The BBC's Owen Bennett-Jones reports