An outbreak of common sense

The warmest of welcomes has to be given to the announcement that Pakistan and India have agreed to restore the ceasefire along the Line of control (LoC) and the Working Boundary (WB) which is hopefully going to bring to an end a cycle of violations over the last 18 months that has left over 100 dead on the Pakistan side.

The Directors General of Military Operations on both sides worked out the agreement reportedly on the initiative of Pakistan. The statement issued by both sides was unusual for its congruity and swiftness, indicative of a level of cooperation and agreement that has been absent for so long and cost so many lives.

The commanders on either side will have put the seal of approval on the decision which will have been worked on by their respective staffs for days if not weeks, and there would have to have been a signing off on the agreement by the civilian governments as well, these things do not happen in isolation or spontaneously.

Formal announcements of such moves are never made in advance, and it is indicative of both sides being willing to politically formalise the arrangement which means there will have to have been agreement at the very top of both governments.

This represents a significant shift in position at least in terms of that held by the Indian government, which since the advent of Modi has held and promoted a belligerent posture; and if there is one thing that can be said for the outgoing PML-N government in Pakistan is that it has been consistent during its tenure in terms of peaceful overtures to India. The hostility that exists between India and Pakistan is a significant impediment to development in both countries socially and economically.

Inflated defence budgets eat money that could translate into infrastructure, trade ought to be in the billions both ways and it is not. This development has probably been cooking since early January and it is to be hoped that once its durability is proven that more peace-building efforts will follow. A good ball for the incoming government to pick up and run with.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2018.

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