Don’t keep your fingers crossed
Once again Nawaz and Modi met and, going by popular Pakistani and Indian press, once again Nawaz’s body language betrayed being on the back foot. The Indians did not follow proper handshake protocol – where both premiers were expected to enter the room simultaneously – managed to squeeze Lakhvi into the joint statement, and avoided any mention of Kashmir, etc, whatsoever. And every time Sartaj Aziz claims ‘no talks without Kahsmir’, the Indians will simply snap back that the joint statement is the only basis for talks hereon, as they have already done.
So, in this context, will the Track-II even take off? PML-N was all for trade and commerce initially, and while they were working on getting the military to agree somehow, BJP didn’t help matters by its unrealistic rhetoric about Hurriyet, Kashmir, Bangladesh, etc. Little surprise, in hindsight, that Modi has been cut to size, in ways. But he has played it well from the new position too. Once again Pakistan must first go on the defensive regarding Lakhvi’s voice samples, then struggle to get ‘core issues’ like Kashmir, Siachen and Sir Creek into meaningful negotiations. But since New Delhi has already ruled much of Pakistan’s demands out at the outset, there’s only so much any serious talks can accomplish.
Musharraf faced a similar dilemma when dealing with the BJP in Agra. But, when push came to shove and Indian extreme-right delusions began spoiling the atmosphere, he chose to walk than get caught in the controversy. Perhaps Nawaz should have done the same, even though the setting was markedly different. Now the Indians have got their demands into the joint statement while Pakistani concerns, which have stood for decades, are suddenly unacceptable, and New Delhi is making a loud case of it. True, Zarb-e-Azb, the thaw with Kabul, and unprecedented partnership with Beijing has jolted Modi out of his fantasy ride. But the BJP continues to put roadblocks in the way to peace while trying to put the blame on Pakistan. Nawaz has just not handled the India situation smartly enough. Or maybe BJP hardliners are just too clever for the present administration in Islamabad. Either way, there can be no excuses for incompetence, especially because many suffer for the sins of a few.