Few expected any breakthrough in the Pak-India talks at the foreign sectaries’ level. The positive thing is that the talks ended on a positive note. The homecoming of four Pakistani and six Indian sailors freed by Somali pirates on board PNS Zulfiqar provided a happy backdrop to the parleys. Both sides had to be extremely careful as they were required to traverse an area covered with booby traps. A move to break the ice by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Sharm-el Sheikh in 2009, strongly opposed by the BJP and a jingoistic section of the Indian media, nearly cost him his job and forced him into a retreat. The present series of talks are a fresh attempt to restart the stalled dialogue.
On the first day of the talks both sides fed media with positive diplospeak which revealed little more than a desire to continue the talks. Aspects related to peace and security were under discussion on Thursday. The atmosphere during the talks encouraged Indian Secretary Narupama Rao to call on Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar.
The two sides struck a positive tone in the joint statement and the joint press conference describing their discussions as “very constructive and purposeful.” It was agreed to take further confidence building measures revolving around the Kashmir issue. Rao however pointed out that resolution of the Kashmir issue cannot take place under the “shadow of gun.” India pressed for “satisfactory closure” of the trial in Pakistan of the accused in the Mumbai terror attacks, saying it would help in normalisation of ties. Pakistan wanted the terrorism issue to be addressed in a “collaborative” manner.
The talks have laid down grounds for discussions between the foreign ministers of the two countries next month in New Delhi. Hopefully moves would be initiated to undertake the doables and towards resolving some of the outstanding issues between India and Pakistan at the ministerial level talks. What is needed, in the meanwhile, is to promote an atmosphere of goodwill between the two countries. What provides one confidence is that, except for a handful of extremists, most political parties in Pakistan, both in the ruling coalition and the opposition, want friendly relations between the two countries.
