Quantifying Pak-India progress

Things that matter

Since the Pakistani government has not denied the Indian claim about Janjua and Doval sharing intelligence, the exchange must indeed have taken place. And just how swiftly Indian authorities mobilised – bolstering Delhi and Gujrat, upgrading security, calming the public – underscores the centrality of such cooperation between neighbours like Pakistan and India. Of course, the Indians would have been even happier if Gen Janjua had recommended the government also take action against LeT once it was in possession of information that its operatives were crossing the border. Still, this intel-sharing comes at an important time and is indicative, at least, of a genuine desire to move forward.

The must not be a one-time affair. With the two heads of state due to meet shortly in Washington, some doubt the post-Pathankot goodwill, of sorts, will outlast the Nawaz-Modi photo op. If that is allowed to happen, there would be little quantitative in the interaction as it is, and has been for a while. The foreign secretaries might still meet now and then, but little will change in the long run unless the exchange becomes more intrinsic, and both sides can measure what the other is offering.

That is why intelligence sharing is a good idea. This was also the intent behind the intel deal with Kabul which, unfortunately, hardly got off the ground. Had it worked it may well have been possible to limit damage on both sides. Pakistan and India, on the other hand, must build on such cooperation now that developments have forced them into an alliance of sorts. That Pakistan is eager to wrap up the Mumbai investigation – and has asked the Indians for witnesses, etc – is also encouraging. So far, both Nawaz and Modi have helped keep the process alive in their own ways, even though the latter did his bit in derailing it earlier as well. Now, unless they push it forward it is likely to go into a freeze for quite a while.