A positive development in Paris

Good working relations between India and Pakistan are necessary

The Paris conference on climate is expected to evolve far reaching recommendations to meet the grave climatic challenges. There is a greater awareness about global warming today than in 1997 when Kyoto protocol was adopted. One hopes that by the time he returns home Nawaz Sharif is adequately sensitised to the issue which has been ignored by successive governments in the country.

An unexpected byproduct of the Paris moot was the informal meeting between Sharif and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the first one after the two leaders met at Ufa on June 10. In September this year, both prime ministers attended the United Nations General Assembly in New York and even stayed at the same hotel, but did not hold a formal pow wow. The meeting on the sidelines of the Paris climate conference came three days after Sharif told British Prime Minister David Cameron he was ready to meet Modi without preconditions. Apparently, Modi took the initiative to greet Sharif. The two-minute meeting was described as animated.

India has been under pressure from all sides to hold talks with Pakistan which is widely seen to be fighting terrorism on the front foot. Only a day earlier, recognising the sacrifices made by Pakistan in combating terrorism, UN Sec Gen Ban Ki-moon had called for talks between the two countries to resolve all differences, offering his good offices to that end. While the meeting is a significant development indicating that neither side has closed the door for talks, it remains to be seen whether there is going to be a meaningful softening of attitudes between the two countries soon after. The least one expects is that like Pakistan the Indian government too will give a go-ahead for the cricket match between the Indian and Pakistani teams.

Among other things climate changes can best be managed through joint efforts on the part of the countries in the same region. For this good working relations between Pakistan and India are necessary.