All through the donnybrook, Mr. Fernandez has insisted upon a "conciliation" meeting before any formal outside mediation.

Pakistan would welcome outside mediation.

While ruling out any outside mediation or interference, Mr. Zebari sought to convey a conciliatory message to the government of Iran.

But India blames Pakistan for a decade of renewed violence in Kashmir and has opposed the very idea of outside mediation.

Yet negotiations in those conflicts have demonstrated more progress because of the willingness of the combatants to accept outside mediation, as well as the presence of outside pressure to force compromises.

In the case of Kashmir, India has consistently refused to accept outside mediation, insisting instead that the useless bilateral talks be the only forum used to resolve the conflict.

It is not amenable to outside mediation.

Perhaps the time has arrived when some form of outside mediation could help save lives.

Abdel Aziz Abdel Ghani, the most powerful northern political leader after the President, dismissed calls for outside mediation.

What India and Pakistan now need is a push to accept outside mediation.