Damping down the fires

Mindful of the danger — indeed the possibility — of sleepwalking into another war India and Pakistan have moved to dial back on the rhetoric and, on the Indian side, warmongering that had come centre stage in the last fortnight. It is impossible to know just how close war was, but there had been movements of troops and equipment that suggested that two armies were at the least flexing their muscles. It is now reported that the National Security Advisers (NSAs) of both countries have spoken by phone on 2^nd October and they sought to strategise de-escalation, with both sides agreeing that they should stop making what were termed ‘provocative’ statements as a first step. This is a decision we warmly welcome as we — as had much of the rest of the world — viewed with rising concern the possible consequences of inflammatory rhetoric.



It was this understanding that underpinned the direction given by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to his cabinet ministers that they stop the ‘chest thumping’ over the so-called ‘surgical strikes’ and other contentious issues such as Kashmir. In future any comments would come either from Mr Modi himself or the appropriate minister — presumably with the imprimatur of the PM himself. The India NSA was nudged by the Americans who were distinctly uneasy at the turn of events, and although the handbrake is on for now there is little or no expectation of India returning to structured talks in the foreseeable future.

Thus it is that Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India, Abdul Basit, is able to say that ‘In diplomacy, doors remain open’. Indeed they do, but an open door is little more than a hole in the wall unless it is actively used, allowing passage both ways. Whatever the faults of the incumbent Pakistan government it has mostly held a line of conciliation in respect of India, and restraint in times of tension. The door has always been ajar. Today normalisation is not around the corner — but neither, now, is war. Kashmir remains the perennial rock in the road, and until it can be passed through an open door then peace will remain below the horizon.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 11^th, 2016.

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