[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 225 Introduced in House (IH)]







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;
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
    Resolved,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This resolution may be cited as the ``India-Pakistan Peace 
Resolution''.

SEC. 2. RECOGNIZING INDIA AND PAKISTAN.

    The House of Representatives--
            (1) congratulates India and Pakistan on taking monumental 
        steps toward achieving a comprehensive peace agreement;
            (2) applauds Prime Minister Singh and President Musharraf 
        for their leadership in bringing their two nations together; 
        and
            (3) calls upon both India and Pakistan to continue down 
        this path of peace so that their children may realize a 
        harmonious future.
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