India and Pakistan can’t keep fighting forever
The meeting between Nawaz Sharif and Narendera Modi began with warm handshakes and ended in smiles. While subsequently addressing media, Sharif said both men shared a common goal of economic development which could not be achieved without peace and stability in the region. To attain the objective top diplomats from both countries would meet soon to advance peace talks. He said it was also agreed that the two foreign secretaries would be meeting soon to review and carry forward their bilateral agenda in the spirit of the meeting. India’s foreign secretary however had maintained earlier that Modi had conveyed his concerns about militants allegedly using Pakistani soil to carry out acts of terrorism in India. Further that Islamabad needed to abide by its commitment to prevent its territory and the territory it controls from being used to stage terror attacks on India.
Now that he has returned from New Delhi, Nawaz Sharif needs to bring the stakeholders together to reach a consensus over some of the basic issues. The foremost that needs to be settled is whether it is in Pakistan’s interest to maintain hostility with neighbours when countries all over the world are increasingly engaging in beneficial trade and strengthening economic ties while putting their disputes on the backburner. They should also decide whether the country can eliminate poverty and social backwardness without ensuring regional peace. Terrorism is taking toll of human life in both Pakistan and India. Can the two countries put an end to the phenomenon jointly? Pakistan has differences with India. It is time the stakeholders decide once for all how they would like to settle these differences. Do they think the country is in a position to resolve them through war with India? Pakistan claims Indian agencies are supporting Baloch insurgency as well as some of the terrorist groups who attack personnel of the LEAs. India blames Pakistani agencies of conducting similar attacks inside its territory. Does it suit Pakistan to let the situation deteriorate?
Nawaz Sharif’s delayed response to Narendera Modi’s invite has been interpreted as his lack of control over the instruments of power in Pakistan. It is also being maintained that as long as Pakistan’s establishment continues to paint India as an existential threat and a permanent enemy in the minds of its people, no Pakistani leader, civilian or military, can improve mutual relations. A lack of consensus on these issues led to unhappy standoffs in the past causing social strife and breeding instability. In 1999, no attempt was made to evolve a consensus over the issues between the stakeholders, leading to unhappy results. This should not be allowed to happen again.
