This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 002226 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/22/2015 
TAGS: PTER PREL IN PK INDO PAK

SUBJECT: LOOKING TO MUSHARRAF VISIT, MEA UPBEAT ON INDO-PAK 
  REF: NEW DELHI 1736 
  Classified By: PolCouns Geoff Pyatt, for Reasons 1.4 (B, D) 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary: Recently ensconced MEA Joint Secretary  (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran) Dilip Sinha was largely upbeat  on Indo-Pak relations during a March 22 introductory meeting  with PolCouns and Poloff, especially with regard to the  Indo-Pak cricket series and the anticipated April 16-17 visit  of Pakistan President Musharraf to New Delhi.  Sinha offered  an unusually positive view of Musharraf as a leader who could  help advance the peace process as long as he does not  ""overplay his hand"" as at the Agra Summit in July 2001. 
Sinha and his predecessor, Arun K. Singh, also reported on  recent irritants in the Indo-Pak relationship, alleging that  Indian diplomats in Islamabad were under resumed harassment  by Pakistani intelligence after a long hiatus. 
Encouragingly, he did not seek to project these irritants on  to the broader political relationship.  End Summary. 
 
¶1.  (C) In a March 22 introductory meeting with PolCouns and  Poloff, MEA Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran) 
Dilip Sinha offered the following nuggets on Indo-Pak  relations: 
 
-- On the Indo-Pak cricket series, Sinha agreed that the  matches were going well and that the Indian media coverage  continued to be largely positive.  Sinha did not raise recent  Indian news reports that some Pakistani visitors had  overstayed their visas.  He agreed with our assessment that  popular enthusiasm on both sides was making it harder to  return to a path of hostility. 
 
-- With regard to the anticipated April 16-17 visit to New  Delhi of Pakistan President Musharraf, Sinha confirmed that  there would be ""a meal"" and ""a working program,"" but that  details were not yet nailed down for the visit, which would  be ""less than 24 hours long."" 
 
-- When asked by PolCouns when the Indo-Pak Composite  Dialogue would resume, Sinha responded that, although the  talks are to run from April through July, specific dates had  not yet been set.  He added that the pending Musharraf visit  was diverting MEA resources away from larger Indo-Pak issues,  implying there will be little work on the Composite Dialogue  until after April 17. 
 
¶2.  (C) In response to PolCouns' question of how the Indian  High Commission in Islamabad views Musharraf (noting the  presence in MEA of High Commissioner Shiv Shankar Menon),  Sinha observed that Musharraf wanted to play a significant  role in the Indo-Pak peace process.  ""If he can be  reasonable, it will contribute to the process,"" but Musharraf  should not ""push beyond what is rational.""  In this context,  Arun Singh commented that Musharraf had ""overplayed his hand  at Agra.""  Overall, Sinha allowed that Musharraf was keeping  the Composite Dialogue moving despite ""dissident voices"" in  Islamabad, especially on the Kashmir issue. 
 
¶3.  (C) Turning to recent irritants, Sinha reported without  specifics that Islamabad was equivocating on the proposed  Lahore-Amritsar-Nankana Sahib bus service, and noted that  while Indian fishermen who strayed into Pakistani territorial  waters are being released from Pakistani jails, their boats  continue to be held, consistent with a recent announcement  from Islamabad to that effect.  On issues out of the public  eye, Sinha complained that after a long hiatus, Indian  diplomats in Islamabad were again being harassed by Pakistani  intelligence operatives, although he presented no specifics. 
Encouragingly, he did not suggest that any of these setbacks  would retard the broader Indo-Pak dialogue. 
MULFORD  "