Negotiations is nice bit of pastime for politicians of Pakistan and India. So they want to resume 'talks. That, at least, would provide some good material to media on both sides of the border to keep them ruminating for a while. These so-called talks are usually useless though. Once started, a round of talks is held every three months just totalk. Some rounds are taken up to set the agenda, some others to discuss venues, still others to actually discuss the agenda. And just when the agenda gets settled, the talks are suspended on one pretext or the other. Nice game our governments play to fool our two peoples. Not that we do not have serious issues. We have some serious, and some very serious issues that call for immediate attention. Water and interventions in each others territories are two such issues which cannot be deferred to usual diplomatic norms. Pakistan needs some concrete steps for India to take. Pakistans agriculture is in complete jeopardy due to Indias persistent violation of Indus Water Treaty of Sept, 1969. India has restricted Chenab and now planning to completely halt it with a new dam. India is also sponsoring an insurgency, through its Afghan agencies, in Balochistan, Karachi and other places. And we cannot let this to happen. These visits to Islamabad and New Dehli will not solve the matter unless international agencies such as the World Bank etc are dragged into it. But a big question is do we have some rapport with these agencies? Have we presented Pakistans case at these forums? Let us not do the farce of being just happy with the resumption of the talks. Lets, for once, do away with the usual diplomatic cosmetics. Let us demand some concrete steps this time. -AMJAD HABIB MIRZA, Lahore, February 8.