The trade route to peace seems to be working out nicely, especially with Pakistan’s largest trade fair on Indian soil being such a success. Indeed, as many participants noted there, there is finally firm realisation, at least in business circles, that time has come to shed the burden of the past, a needless hatred rooted in a bygone era.
For some reason it’s celebrated as the China model, that lasting financial and economic linkages should precede highest level head-to-head on core issues at the centre of the confrontation. Chinese or not, it seems ideally suited for Pakistan and India in the present setting. It has been for some time actually, it’s just that there were no takers.
It is encouraging that news reports of needless Indian conditions regarding truckload and tonnage at border crossings have ceased. Surely serious concerns (including ours) reached New Delhi in time to keep their powerful cement lobby from souring the initiative even before it gathered steam. Cement is Pakistan’s best bet in the cross-border trade. It is in good demand in India, which Pakistani projection has matched, and has played no small part in bidding up the sector at the local bourse. Timely removal of a crucial irritant has kept a potential snowball from developing, which is a good reflection on high-level commitment this time around.
We say this because we have seen fruits of painful endeavour go waste in the past, when Gen Musharraf’s diplomacy and outreach prompted little save superficial confidence building measures from across the border. This time the focus is distinctly different. Both sides obviously realise the urgency, hence the beginning with long term, binding economic linkages. It will be important to ensure the process is free of hiccups, especially in the run up to complete drawing down of the negative list by year end. Vigilance will be necessary subsequently also, but of a different nature.
