IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 225 

Recognizing the historic steps India and Pakistan have taken toward achieving 

bilateral peace. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 21, 2005 

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas (for herself, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. LANTOS, Ms. BERKLEY, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Mr. CLYBURN, Mr. SHIMKUS, 

Mr. WELDON of Florida, Mr. BARTON of Texas, Ms. NORTON, and Mr. 

HASTINGS of Florida) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the historic steps India and Pakistan have taken 

toward achieving bilateral peace. 

Whereas the Republic of India achieved its independence 

from the British Empire on August 15, 1947, is home to 

some of the most ancient civilizations, and has given 

birth to four major world religions; 

Whereas on August 14, 1947, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan was created and is home to many of the significant 

sites of the 4,500-year-old Indus Valley Civilization; 

Whereas in April 2003 former Indian Prime Minister Atal 

Behari Vajpayee offered the ‘‘hand of friendship’’ to 

Pakistan in a landmark address in Indian-administered 

Kashmir; 
2 

•HRES 225 IH

Whereas in February 2004 India and Pakistan began their 

first formal talks in nearly three years, the talks held in 

Islamabad, Pakistan, paved the way for full peace talks; 

Whereas in June 2004 India and Pakistan jointly renewed a 

moratorium on nuclear weapons tests and set up a hotline to alert each other to potential nuclear risks; 

Whereas in September 2004 Indian Prime Minister 

Manmohan Singh and Pakistan’s President Pervez 

Musharraf met for talks in New York on the occasion of 

the United Nations General Assembly and for the first 

time in the history of the Kashmir dispute, the two leaders discussed various ‘‘options’’ to solve the dispute; 

Whereas in April 2005 India and Pakistan launched a landmark bus service across the ceasefire line dividing Kashmir, the ‘‘peace bus’’ allowing families divided by the border to be reunited for the first time in nearly 60 years; 

Whereas on April 18, 2005, India and Pakistan concluded 

three days of historic talks in India with a series of 

agreements to boost trade and cross-border travel; and 

Whereas at the conclusion of the most recent talks Prime 

Minister Singh and President Musharraf issued a joint 

statement in which they agreed to continue talks on 

Kashmir in ‘‘a sincere and purposeful and forward-looking manner for a final settlement’’ and both leaders declared that the ‘‘peace process was now irreversible’’: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, 

2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

3 This resolution may be cited as the ‘‘India-Pakistan 

4 Peace Resolution’’. 
3 

•HRES 225 IH

1 SEC. 2. RECOGNIZING INDIA AND PAKISTAN. 

2 The House of Representatives— 

3 (1) congratulates India and Pakistan on taking 

4 monumental steps toward achieving a comprehensive 

5 peace agreement; 

6 (2) applauds Prime Minister Singh and Presi7 dent Musharraf for their leadership in bringing their 

8 two nations together; and 

9 (3) calls upon both India and Pakistan to con10 tinue down this path of peace so that their children 

11 may realize a harmonious future. 

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