On Pakistan Day (March 23) -- while activists of the Jamaat-e-Islami washed the Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore with rose water after it had been `dirtied' by the visit of Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee -- the country's army chief, General Musharraf, told newsmen that he did not find any harm in trade with India, since Pakistan's stance on Kashmir remained unchanged.

Sensing the mood, many political parties have also changed their line in the midst of all that's happening on the sub-continent. Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, who had earlier said that she would not meet the Indian Prime Minister at any cost, turned apologetic later. She said that if she had been given enough notice,it would have been a pleasure for her to come to the state banquet in honour of Vajpayee in Lahore.

Imran Khan of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), who had earlier accused Sharif of selling out to India later, changed his stance and welcomed the talks with India at a rally in Karachi a week ago.

But most encouraging has been the remarks of people like Maulana Fazlur Rahman, the head of his faction of the Jamiat-Ulema Islam, a right wing political party that has more political clout than the Jamaat-e-Islami. Fazlur Rahman told his supporters, who mainly come from the conservative belts of the Frontier and Baluchistan provinces, that the visit of Prime Minister Vajpayee to Pakistan was a ``very positive sign.'' He said, ``We will now benefit from better co-operation which will uplift the region as a whole.''

However, observers question whether this goodwill can translate into something tangible that will go beyond the exchange of prisoners and easing of visa regulations. ``Something that will leave amark on history,'' says one analyst at Pakistan's prestigious Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad.

There are some who say that the whole dialogue process may, in fact, boomerang on the Pakistan Prime Minister. ``Many people are not happy with what's happening. An ease in trade may well lead to many vested interests getting hurt,'' says Muhammad Khalid, who writes for a local paper.

Also, remarks coming from India, like L K Advani's ``Akhand Bharat,'' put pressure on the Nawaz Sharif Government. Pakistan is not prepared for a confederation, as espoused by Indian leaders or an alliance with India at this stage. ``Not only is it premature to expect such things but also unrealistic on the part of the Indian public,'' says one observer.

The goodwill messages from India over how the two countries were once one and could also be working towards the same goal, have not been well received in Pakistan. In this respect, Vajpayee's visit to the Minar-e-Pakistan was a very sensible action. Pakistani statemedia considered this small token as a big step towards India's intentions of normalising relations with Pakistan on an equal basis. For a smaller neighbour like Pakistan, this is a real issue.