PPP’s diplomacy with India

Many will not believe but one of many accomplishments of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government has been the way it has indemnified relations from the low-water mark of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, when war seemed a very realistic likelihood.

With trade developments and regular high-level meetings inching the process forward, the incumbent cautiously taken small steps towards lasting peace.

The recent visit of President Asif Ali Zardari to the shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti in Ajmer gave him opportunity to hold talks with Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. This latest move was yet another indicator that the two countries are moving decisively towards setting up a long-term peace between them.

Apparently the meeting was cordial by all accounts and Manmohan Singh accepted Zardari’s offer of a return visit to Pakistan. For the first time since 2005, a Pakistani head of the state paid a visit to India.

It marked another achievement in the slow return to normalcy between the two countries. Both India and Pakistan are fortunate that top leadership of the two states is committed to the peace process but that does not mean that danger is not lurking around every corner.

However, the security establishment can simply spoil whatever progress has been made by working around the elected government and embarking on yet another army adventure along the lines of the Kargil operation.

A small segment in India of which vital sections of the media is a part remains resolutely against bilateral ties. Furthermore, the key issues like Hafiz Saeed, who had a bounty placed on him by the United States for actionable information leading to his conviction, are yet to resolve.

Both India and Pakistan have so far decided to go ahead with lowering trade barriers with former set to grant latter Most-Favoured Nation status by the end of 2012.

The rigid visa regime between the duos, however, makes it impossible for the citizens of either country to visit other side of the border.

The latest avalanche tragedy at Siachen has urged the two states to realize that perhaps the time has come to disarm the region.

Many lives on either side have been lost to the ravages of weather than to actual battle and the cost of maintaining troops for both countries on the world’s highest battleground should be enough to necessitate a final push for a two-sided drawn-down.

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Posted by Faisal Farooq on Apr 9 2012. Filed under National, Opinion, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.