IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 272 

Recognizing the historic steps India and Pakistan have taken toward achieving 

bilateral peace. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 11, 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, Mr. 

HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Ms. 

LEE, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Mr. WYNN, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. 

MEEKS of New York, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. STUPAK, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. JEFFERSON, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. SERRANO, and Mr. PAYNE) 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; 
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•HRES 272 IH 

Whereas in April 2003 former Indian Prime Minister Atal 

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

Pakistan in a landmark address made in the State of 

Jammu and Kashmir; 

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 reaffirmed their 

unilateral 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 at the conclusion of these talks they issued a joint statement in which 

they agreed that on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir 

‘‘possible options for a peaceful, negotiated settlement of 

the issue should be explored’’; 

Whereas in April 2005 India and Pakistan launched a landmark bus service across the Line of Control in Jammu 

and Kashmir, the ‘‘peace bus’’ allowing families divided 

by the Line of Control to be reunited for the first time 

in nearly 60 years; 

Whereas on April 18, 2005, India and Pakistan concluded a 

historic three day summit in India in which Prime Minister Singh and President Musharraf held meaningful 

talks on all issues, including the issue of Jammu and 

Kashmir, and came to a series of agreements to boost 

trade and cross-border travel; 

Whereas ‘‘in this spirit the two leaders addressed the issue 

of Jammu and Kashmir and agreed to continue these dis-
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•HRES 272 IH 

cussions in a sincere and purposeful and forward looking 

manner for a final settlement’’ and ‘‘they were satisfied 

with the discussions and expressed their determination to 

work together to carry forward the process and to bring 

the benefit of peace to their people’’ as stated by the 

joint statement signed by Prime Minister Singh and 

President Musharraf; 

Whereas both leaders ‘‘condemned attempts to disrupt the 

Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service and welcomed its successful operationalisation’’ and ‘‘pledged that they would 

not allow terrorism to impede the peace process’’; 

Whereas both leaders ‘‘decided to increase the frequency of 

the bus service and also decided that trucks would be allowed to use this route to promote trade’’ and ‘‘also 

agreed to operationalise additional routes including that 

between Poonch and Rawalakot’’ and ‘‘look forward to 

early start of the bus service between Amritsar and Lahore and to religious places such as Nankana Sahib’’ and 

‘‘agreed to re-establish the Khokhrapar-Munnabao route 

by 1st January 2006’’; and 

Whereas at the conclusion of the most recent talks Prime 

Minister Singh and President Musharraf declared in their 

joint statement that they were ‘‘conscious of the historic 

opportunity created by the improved environment in relations and the overwhelming desire of the peoples of the 

two countries for durable peace and recognizing their responsibility to continue to move forward towards that objective, the two leaders had substantive talks on all 

issues’’ and ‘‘they determined that the peace process was 

now irreversible’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, 
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•HRES 272 IH 

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

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

3 Peace Resolution’’. 

4 SEC. 2. RECOGNIZING INDIA AND PAKISTAN. 

5 The House of Representatives— 

6 (1) congratulates India and Pakistan on taking 

7 monumental steps toward achieving a comprehensive 

8 peace agreement; 

9 (2) applauds Prime Minister Singh and Presi10 dent Musharraf for their leadership in bringing their 

11 two nations together; and 

12 (3) calls upon both India and Pakistan to con13 tinue down this path of peace so that their children 

14 may realize a harmonious future. 

Æ