IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 32 

Recognizing the historic steps India and Pakistan have taken toward achieving 

bilateral peace. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 8, 2009 

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas submitted the following resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

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 4 major world religions; 

Whereas the Islamic Republic of Pakistan was created on August 14, 1947 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 made in the State of 

Jammu and Kashmir; 


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•HRES 32 IH 

Whereas on November 23, 2003, the Pakistani Prime Minister M.Z. Jamali announced a unilateral cease-fire by 

Pakistani forces at the Line of Control to begin on the 

final night of Ramadan, November 26th; 

Whereas the cease-fire begun on November 26, 2003, was expanded to apply to the entire shared border and has since 

been made permanent; 

Whereas in February 2004 India and Pakistan began their 

first formal talks in nearly 3 years, paving 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 India’s 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, 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 3-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, 


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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 discussions 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’’; 

Whereas at the conclusion of the talks Prime Minister Singh 

and President Musharraf declared in their joint statement that ‘‘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 


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leaders had substantive talks on all issues’’ and ‘‘they determined that the peace process was now irreversible’’; 

Whereas Pakistan and India launched a second bus service 

across the Line of Control in Kashmir on June 20, 2006; 

Whereas on June 30, 2006, India and Pakistan exchanged 56 

civilian prisoners, including 38 Pakistanis and 19 Indians; and 

Whereas on September 16, 2006, India’s Prime Minister 

Singh and Pakistan’s President Musharraf met and 

issued a joint statement which renewed their commitment 

to the peace process, condemned all acts of terrorism including the recent Mumbai bombings, and agreed to continue their joint search for mutually acceptable options 

for a peaceful negotiated settlement of all issues between 

India and Pakistan, including the issue of Jammu and 

Kashmir: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, 

2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

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

4 Peace Resolution’’. 

5 SEC. 2. RECOGNIZING INDIA AND PAKISTAN. 

6 The House of Representatives— 

7 (1) congratulates India and Pakistan on taking 

8 monumental steps toward achieving a comprehensive 

9 peace agreement; 

10 (2) applauds Prime Minister Singh and Presi11 dent Musharraf for their leadership in bringing their 

12 two nations together; and 


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1 (3) calls upon both India and Pakistan to con2 tinue down this path of peace so that their children 

3 may realize a harmonious future. 

Æ 


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