Environment for dialogue

Pakistan’s envoy Abdul Basit has renewed an appeal to the Indian authorities about creating a conducive environment for dialogue between the two neighbours. That has long been the consistent appeal of Pakistan and its leaders. In the regional context, we have been hearing other members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation repeat the same mantra, albeit with a difference, in the hope of breaking the stalemate. But unlike Pakistan, Nepal and the Maldives spoke last September in terms of the threat posed by terrorism and how it had cast a long shadow over the regional cooperation forum.

The latest appeal was made by Pakistan’s envoy at the India Conclave 2017, a special television programme aired by India Today. Abdul Basit’s remarks came with the caveat that the challenge of terrorism should not be allowed to determine all facets of the bilateral relationship. The subliminal message of the envoy was that India cannot wish away other issues like Jammu and Kashmir. The best possible way to bring about such an atmosphere is to restore the spirit of cooperation.

The envoy was forthright in sharing his opinions, much of which were elicited by pointed questioning. His proposal that India first address the core issues of Kashmir, Siachen and Sir Creek before moving on to terrorism seemed to shock his media hosts. But it is hardly the first time that Pakistan has conveyed the same to India. For some years now, New Delhi has tightly woven the terror narrative into the stream of its national consciousness. It is through this prism alone that the Indians have been made to see Pakistan and its people.

The figures otherwise paint a clear picture: it is Pakistan that has lost more than 70,000 people in the war on terrorism. It has been a long and difficult road against militancy. Some understanding and acknowledgment of that would help. While rejecting the perception that his country’s bilateral ties with India were defined by the Mumbai attacks trial, the envoy urged Indian officials not to jump the gun. To dispense justice, the court needs greater assistance from within and outside, especially when it comes to evidence. All this of course needs to be done under a fresh spirit of cooperation.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 20^th, 2017.

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