Pakistan and India cannot afford to close the door for talks
The SAARC submit is being held at a time when relations between Pakistan and India have touched a new low. There have been exchanges of fire for over two months along the LoC and the working boundary leading to casualties on both sides. The unilateral cancellation of the meeting between the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries by India has already brought the peace moves to a grinding halt.
Pakistan and India cannot afford to close the door for talks. Both would be losers if they do. To start with, this makes no economic sense. The improvement in trade ties would not only increase the bilateral trade many times over but also expand market access, economic growth, energy benefits and regional stability. A failure to resolve disputes has led to the diversion of their scarce resources to military buildup with the result that 67 years after independence millions in the two countries still live below poverty line. The challenges posed by climate change cannot be met without mutual cooperation. It is also widely recognised now that the terrorist threat cannot be dealt with successfully without international and regional cooperation.
In 2002 when the 11th SAAR summit was held in Kathmandu relations between Pakistan and India were as tense as today, if not more so. The attack on Jammu and Kashmir Assembly followed by another one on Indian Parliament had led to the second biggest military standoff between the two countries. Both had moved ballistic missiles closer to each other’s border, and mortar and artillery fire was being reported in Kashmir. India had mobilised around 500,000 troops and three armoured divisions on Pakistan’s border. Pakistan had responded similarly, deploying around 300,000 troops. The situation was suddenly defused when to the surprise of all Pervez Muharraf walked up to Atal Bihari Vjpayee at the SAARC Summit forcing the Indian Prime Minister to rise and shake hands with the author of Kargil. If a military ruler who had usurped power could do that, why can’t an elected Prime Minister?
