Pak-India equation

Some caution, perhaps?

There is little doubt, at least in the international press, that American pressure got Modi to restart foreign secretary talks. But the Indians have been expectedly cautious, lumping these talks with the ‘usual’ SAARC outreach. Interestingly, though, Delhi’s provocative stance – calling off the FS talks, for example – just might facilitate Pakistan, provided Islamabad plays its cards right. The foreign office has been quick on the draw; talks must include Kashmir, and Sir Creek, and Siachen; Pakistan will never budge from that position, no matter how firmly Delhi embraces Hindutva. So by agreeing to talk, Modi has indeed agreed that India will have to talk about contentious issues, which plays right into Pakistan’s hands.

This is just where international relations become subtle. India has been clearly belligerent since Modi came to power. They played with Nawaz’s good will visit. He even departed from tradition by not meeting Hurriyet – which was improper in hindsight – but they sprang an unannounced foreign secretary press conference, and made Pakistan look weak unnecessarily. Then they called off FS level talks because the Pakistani ambassador in Delhi talked to Hurriyet leadership, clearly indicating the new hardline mindset in Delhi.

Pakistan, though, has wisely stuck to its long-held position. But chest thumping of the sort that the military leadership has thought politic just ahead of the foreign secretary talks might not be the best way forward. True, Indian aggression at the line of control and the working boundary is unprecedented and unacceptable. But our forces have already proved up to the challenge on the ground. Those provoking our borders need no better rebuttal than repayment in kind. At the moment, it is important to keep the diplomatic narrative clear and precise; that Pakistan has been sincere in its outreach, but India seems to have more extremist concerns. Let the foreign secretaries talk, and let the world see how sincere India really is about moving forward. And if they ignite the border again, they will have not just Pakistan to answer to, but also those powerful forces that finally got these talks rolling.