New York: Pakistan's decision to end support to Islamic militants in Kashmir was reached after eight months of secret negotiations with India and essentially cemented with the Christmas Day suicide attack on President Pervez Musharraf, officials in Islamabad were today (Jan 8, 2004) quoted as saying.

As India and Pakistan agreed to resume a composite dialogue in February, 'The New York Times' said the sense of mortality gave push to talks between the two countries.

"The need for speed apparently came largely from the spectre of mortality for both (Prime Minister Atal Bihari) Vajpayee and General Musharraf. Vajpayee, 79, is of sound mind but aging body, and Pakistanis have far less trust in his Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani, who is seen as more of a hardliner," the paper said.

Noting that Musharraf says he will take off his Army uniform at the end of this year, thus perhaps lessening his ability to deliver the military's support in any deal, it said, more serious is the likelihood of more attempts on his life.

Recalling the General's comment on Tuesday (Jan 6, 2004) that he had nine lives, the 'Times' said, "a friend and ally, worried that he is tempting fate and his enemies, I wish he wouldn't say things like that in public."

By pledging to allow no terrorist activity from its territory, Pakistan, the paper said, met a main condition of India's.

Pakistani officials said the surprise agreement to resume peace talks, stalled since July 2001, was the result of public steps to build goodwill between the people of the two countries, and of private steps to rebuild trust between their leaders.

Meetings between Indian and Pakistani officials began soon after Vajpayee made a speech in April offering a "hand of friendship" to Pakistan, the report said, adding the speech ended a "dangerous estrangement" that began in December 2001 with a terrorist attack on India's Parliament.

Over eight months, the 'Times' reported the officials ferried messages back to Vajpayee and General Musharraf, who came to see a possibly unique opening to end half-a-century of enmity.

The momentum accelerated rapidly with Vajpayee's decision to attend the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Summit in Islamabad and General Musharraf's decision to shut down infiltration of militants waging anti-Indian insurgency from Pakistan, a senior Pakistani official was quoted as saying.

The determination to agree on new talks was sealed with the second of two attempts on General Musharraf's life in December 2003, according to Pakistani officials.

They said they believed that even India's "hardliners" saw the pressures on Musharraf, and understood that the General, who is both civilian leader and Army Chief of Staff, might offer the last best chance for a deal.