By Robert Birsel
WAGAH, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistani labourers on theborder with India unloaded tomatoes on Wednesday, the fruit ofa tentative peace process between the old rivals that looks setto be sustained no matter who wins Pakistan's elections.
Nuclear-armed Pakistan and India have fought three warssince 1947 and nearly went to war again in 2002 but a peaceprocess launched in early 2004 ushered in a period of calm.
But after months of political turmoil in Pakistan thatbegan when President Pervez Musharraf tried to dismiss thecountry's top judge last March, relations with India havehardly figured in the campaign for parliamentary elections onFeb 18.
In Wagah, the main crossing point on the border, dozens ofporters in red shirts unloaded crates of tomatoes from Indiantrucks that crossed over into a dusty staging area just insidePakistan.
Trade between the old rivals is still restricted, and whileit is a trickle of what it could be it still represents amarked improvement in ties.
"Just 30 to 35 trucks come a day and not everyone getswork. Some of us go home empty handed in the evening," saidlabourer Mohammad Arshad.
"We pray for better relations. That would mean more work."
The elections for a new parliament and assemblies inPakistan's provinces is seen as a three-way race between thepro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League, which has ruled underhim, and the opposition parties of former prime ministers NawazSharif and the assassinated Benazir Bhutto.
All the major parties say they want to sustain the peaceprocess that has brought better transport links and animprovement in diplomatic, cultural and sporting ties, as wellas the modest increase in trade.
But the peace process has brought no progress on the coredispute over the divided Muslim-majority Himalayan region ofKashmir.
"DEMOCRACY A MUST"
Kashmir has been a highly emotive issue in Pakistan sinceindependence. Pakistan has for years supported separatistrebels in Indian Kashmir, where Pakistan says the Muslimpopulation is being oppressed by the Indian army.
But even Kashmir has hardly been mentioned in the electioncampaign.
"Relations with India were a very important factor inpolitics but after the crisis over the dismissal of the chiefjustice all the attention of policy makers, the government, thepublic turned towards internal problems," said Umbreen Javaid,a political science professor at Punjab University in Lahore.
"It's not a discussion point," she said. "All partiesbelieve Pakistan should have better relations with India. Anyof the three major parties that could come into power wouldlike to pursue the peace process."
Punjab University South Asia studies professor JahangirTamimi said relations with India had traditionally been thedomain of Pakistan's military-bureaucratic establishment.
"It's basically an establishment problem. The politicalparties have very little option to move forward," Tamimi said.
Greater democracy and more representative government wasessential for improving ties with India in line with the wishesof most of the people, he said.
"The democratic process is a must. If public opinion isthere it will provide the opportunity to create an atmosphereto deal with the chronic issues such as Kashmir."
Back at Wagah, Khalil Ahmad, who runs a book stall in asmall market metres from the border, said he had no interest inthe election but he too longed for peace with India.
"If there's war, both countries will be finished," he said.(Additional reporting by Kamran Haider; Editing by SanjeevMiglani)
