Pakistan, India and the US
India had reacted with outpouring of disdain, disbelief and hurt when the news of the Trump-Nawaz telephonic conversation appeared in the media on Wednesday. Three things surprised Indian leaders and media , the effusive praise for Pakistan and its leadership, the delight at the invitation to visit Pakistan and the promise to help play any role that Pakistan wants to find solutions to the ‘outstanding problems’, a euphemism for Pak-India dispute on Kashmir . While the readout issued by the Trump team hours later missed the reported superlatives along with the promise to visit Pakistan and resolve the Kashmir issue, it confirmed Trump had a productive conversation about how the United States and Pakistan will have a strong working relationship in the future and that he is looking forward to a lasting and strong personal relationship with Prime Minister Sharif. Even this had enough to worry many among the BJP leadership What US Vice-president elect Mike Pence has told NBC now indicates that Trump might in fact have agreed to help resolve the Kashmir dispute during the Wednesdaytalk
It is time both India and Pakistan interpret the development correctly. Trump’s tendency to reverse course has presently given a shock to India, hopefully making it realise that Trump cannot be taken for granted. Pakistan has to understand that Trump can go back on his promise to help resolve the Kashmir dispute after further briefings from important US departments and agencies. It was sensible to send Advisor Tariq Fatemi to hold talks with the Trump team and to find if it would be fruitful for Nawaz Sharif to attend Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
It would better suit Pakistan and India to sort out their differences bilaterally instead of allowing Trump to bring what Pence calls his ‘extraordinary deal-making skills’ to mediate the Kashmir issue. Irrespective of the position Trump takes the disputes between the two countries can only be resolved through the resumption of the composite dialogue between them.
