For a larger picture, both India and Pakistan should not act on assumptions
As diplomatic observers have pointed out, the meeting between Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of UN session in New York is a low-key affair. Still, the mere fact that both leaders agreed for a sit-down can lead to something bigger. The South Asian neighbours haven’t had a high level meeting in the past three years, derailing the peace process that was started, coincidently, when Nawaz Sharif was last in power.
Suspicious of Pakistan’s intentions, India wants more concrete action than verbal assurances, as Manmohan Singh stated that they were more interested in practical steps than just the atmospherics. Though the meeting could prove to be a turnaround for both countries, observers believe the dynamics of peace between the two nuclear states depend on a lot more than this one meeting. Manmohan Songh’s government is heading for elections while Nawaz Sharif’s government has just taken on the reigns. Peace talks between the two might not prove to be so eventful. On the other hand, the meeting could provide both leaders leverage in their domestic politics. Seeing how Mr Sharif promised he would resume peace talks with India while Mr Singh, and his political party Congress, can benefit in the upcoming elections if they can get Pakistan to agree to some of their demands, the most vocal of them being that Pakistan must no longer be “the epicentre of terrorism in our region” and that “for progress to be made, it is imperative that the territory of Pakistan and the areas under its control are not utilised for aiding or abetting terrorism”. Nawaz Sharif might find it difficult to assure his Indian counterpart of his cooperation when all he can see is the standard Indian rhetoric of controlling militants in the Kashmir valley. While Mr Singh said he supported resolving questions over Kashmir, he stood firm that the Himalayan territory is “an integral part of India”.
Showing no flexibility is not going to take these countries anywhere; it would in fact force them to lock horns and miss out the opportunities to work together for a better future in this region. Pakistan could benefit from potential in the huge Indian market while India could use Pakistani territory as a transit corridor to access Central Asian and Middle Eastern Markets. However, going to the meeting with an attitude of not losing anything, instead of probability of gaining something, is not the right choice to make. As Mr Sharif has stated, the meeting should become “a new beginning” and stalled peace talks should resume.
