Together they can do a lot
That India and Pakistan can’t change their geo-political realities is true; however, that doesn’t mean they can’t make efforts to have a friendly and cordial relation. If China and India can have a working relation, with a huge commerce and trade volume despite their own set of issues, why can’t Pakistan and India have a working relation? There is nothing that stops them except for at times a lack of political will on both sides. Yes, there are elements on both side of the border that don’t want the peace process to move forward, but they can be tackled with patience and the desire to work for the joint cause of peace.
A report by the Times of India suggests that both countries are about to move forward with the composite dialogue process with Islamabad proposing dates for water secretary level talks — meant to address the Wullar Barrage issue — and New Delhi “actively considering it”. The dialogue process was thrown off the track by the January ceasefire violations which led to killings of both Indian and Pakistani soldiers. Those firing incidents caused tensions between the two countries, with leaders, both political and military, threatening each other. However, better sense prevailed and verbal threats didn’t translate into actions. With the new government in Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, the newly installed prime minister, invited his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh for a visit to Islamabad which he politely rejected, mostly because of political pressure because of those border firing incidents, but agreed to meet on outlines of UNGA session in New York in September. Pakistan and India need to seize this opportunity and resume talks on vital issues like talks on water resources, border disputes, terrorism, dams and barrages on rivers that are supposed to be Pakistan’s share of water, exchange of prisoners, a better framework to avoid border skirmishes, trade and commerce and people to people contacts. With the two being nuclear giants in the region, along with China and Russia, and Iran’s ambitions being not so clear on nuclear power, this region has become a hodgepodge of political doctrines. With China and India developing at a fast pace, and Russia also rearing its head again economically, the region cannot afford any form of tension, particularly an armed conflict. Instead what it needs to do, what all of the regional players should do is to work together for a peaceful region by combining their strengths, turning the region into a stable, economic and political might.
Pakistan and India can do wonders if they work together. They can lay the foundation for a peaceful region, for trade and business opportunities, for a highly diversified and technical workforce, for better security in the region and by extension the world. However, for all this to happen, the way to go is through talks, discussions and dialogue process.