Attack in Pathankot — another derailment of relations?

If it is proven that Pathankot attackers were from Pakistan, Pakistani response against them must be firm and decisive

The long journey to peace and normalisation of relations between India and Pakistan has been incredibly complex and painful. Just as it seemed that the two countries would begin long-awaited negotiations, creating an ambience of hope for the nearly two billion people of the region, terrorists have struck again. And they could not have chosen a more suitable target to achieve their nefarious aims. The target chosen — the highly protected Indian air base in Pathankot — is close to the India-Pakistan border.

The attack has come fast on the heels of one of the most extraordinary diplomatic initiatives — the Indian prime minister making a seemingly unscheduled stopover at Lahore to greet his Pakistani counterpart on the latter’s birthday.

The euphoria generated by Modi’s visit had not even died down, with analysts in both countries still debating its impact on the course of bilateral relations. After many years of uncertainty, there was some hope of a thaw in relations. There had been a very positive interaction at Bangkok between the National Security Advisers of both countries and then the Indian external affairs minister visited Pakistan to attend the Heart of Asia Conference. The ice had begun to melt. Expectations were aroused vis-a-vis a resumption of talks that were stalled after the 2008 Mumbai massacre. And when Modi landed in Lahore on an impromptu visit on Christmas, it appeared that Islamabad and New Delhi were bracing for a constructive and meaningful dialogue that could produce a climate conducive for addressing many intractable issues, including the core issue of Kashmir.

In the aftermath of the attack, if Indian authorities come to the conclusion after ascertaining facts that all or some its perpetrators had come from Pakistan or that they had been trained in Pakistan, bilateral relations would receive an irretrievable setback. Distrust would mount and suspicions would deepen. The process of normalisation would hang in the balance. Uncertainty would take hold. Increasing spending on defence at the expense of spending on the common man, in both countries, would remain the main goal to pursue.

In that case, there would be only one option before Pakistan: to relentlessly pursue and arrest all those who are involved, one way or another, in the attack on the Pathankot air base and give them exemplary punishment after due process of law. In fact, all such outfits that are either based in Pakistan or use Pakistani soil for launching attacks in India, including in Kashmir, have to be wiped out to give an unmistakable message to the world that the Pakistani state will not allow its soil to be used for attacks on another country. These steps alone will save the relations between the two countries from a complete derailment.

The Pathankot air base attack is a serious issue, which must not be underestimated. The Pakistani response, if there is solid evidence of the accused having gone from Pakistan, must be emphatic, firm and decisive. That would send a message of a change of policy and help Pakistan win India’s trust.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5^th, 2016.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.