
However, there is reason to believe that, Singh apart, the Indian government isn’t too keen on building ties with Pakistan. A US State Department cable posted by WikiLeaks suggested that while Singh truly hoped and strived for peace between India and Pakistan, the rest of his cabinet opposed that vision. If his government is not with him, there is very little even the prime minister can do to ensure that his desired policy becomes a reality. For the moment, talks between the two heads of government — as happened in Mohali during the World Cup semi-final and in Sharm-al-Sheikh in 2009 — seem to be the only way to keep the lines of communication open.
Pakistan, too, is making the prospect of peace extremely remote, with the army being the chief hindrance. It should be obvious by now that withdrawing all support for the Lashkar-e-Taiba and taking action against its leadership is a prerequisite for improving relations with India. Yet, the army, as Chief of Staff Ashfaq Pervez Kayani himself has said, sees India as its biggest threat. This attitude does not augur well for peace. It takes two to tango, but neither side appears ready to dance.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 19th, 2011.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ