A heavily armed group of terrorists attacked the Pathankot airbase of the Western Air Command of the Indian Air Force on January 2, 2016. The attackers, said to be six in numbers, and three security forces personnel were reported killed in the initial battle. The intense gun battle and the subsequent combing operation lasted for about 17 hours on January 2. The attackers, reportedly wearing Indian Army battledress, were suspected to belong to Jaish-e-Muhammad an Islamist militant group designated as a terrorist organization by India, the United States, the United Kingdom and the United Nations.
The Indian and foreign media portrayed the attack as a terrorist act. Media reports suggested that the attack was an attempt to derail the fragile peace process rejuvenated recently to bring about improvement in the volatile bilateral relations between India and Pakistan. As known to all and sundry in the region and the west signs of thaw in the deteriorating bilateral India-Pakistan relations could be seen after the momentary encounter between the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan on the sidelines of the World Climate Conference in Paris and the unscheduled meeting of the security advisers of the two countries in Bangkok. Messages of cordiality and the urge to resume the stalled bilateral talks between the two countries emanating from the above two meetings ultimately broke the ice with the arrival of Sushma Swaraj, India’s External Affairs Minister in Islamabad to attend the ‘Heart of Asia Conference’ on December 9, 2015. Much to the pleasure and surprise of people on both sides of the divide, she announced resumption of the stalled composite bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan.
The decision of the two belligerent neighbors of the region to resume the long-stalled bilateral composite dialogue was taken on a positive note by people on both sides of the divide. The countries of the region and the international community too received this positive development in the embittered relations between India and Pakistan warmly. Unfortunately, however, it seems that the exuberance vis-à-vis India –Pakistan relations was not meant to last long. The terrorist attack on the Pathankot Airbase in India on January 2/16 seems to seriously threaten the nascent India-Pakistan rapprochement.
Unambiguously, establishment of cordial bilateral relations between India and Pakistan is the need of the hour. In fact, it holds the key to peace and progress not only between the two countries but the entire region. Both countries, India in particular, must appreciate the importance of congenial relationship between them. India must not take a stance that would potentially threaten the initiatives recently taken by it to improve its relations with Pakistan. It must act cautiously and sensibly particularly in dealing with contemptuous issues such as the Pathankot Airbase attack of January 2, 2016, to ensure that the positive initiative taken to resume the long-stalled composite dialogue between the two countries does not wither away yet again.
So far it seems both India and Pakistan has acted on the Pathankot issue with a sense of responsibility. At least the recent statement of India’s Home Minister, Rajnath Singh that there was no reason to distrust Pakistan’s assurance of an “effective action” against those linked to the terror attack on the IAF base in Pathankot, and that India should wait for Pakistan’s action vis-à-vis the issue emanates a glimmer of hope that both sides will genuinely endeavor to redress the problem amicably in their own interest and in the larger interest of the region. By arresting the supremo of the banned Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) Maulana Masood Azhar, his brother Maulana Rauf Azhar and some of his followers and closing down the organization’s offices in Pakistan lately, Pakistan has amply proved its seriousness to respond positively to India’s request for identifying and bringing to book the perpetrators of the Pathankot Airbase attack.
M FAZAL ELAHI
Islamabad