Dialogue, not aggression

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In an endeavour to achieve a new-normal relationship between India and Pakistan, the former Foreign Minister has taken a leap-forward in his approach. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's suggestion that sleuths from ISI and RAW should sit down for brain-storming to address the pestering dispute of terrorism is worth-appreciating. In fact, that is the way to go as the warring factions need to set in some semblance in their distrustful ties, and that can only happen when stakeholders from the security domain huddle in for a sincere de-escalation effort.

The PPP leader's idea must galvanise into the next orbit of thought-process, and New Delhi and Islamabad must put behind their ulterior conventions to make a stride in the right direction. The precedent that DGMOs and NSAs had off and on been meeting to iron out grievances, especially after skirmishes and eventualities, should make a headway in intelligence bosses spectrum too, and there is no harm in giving it a try for the wider sake of confidence building measures and congeniality.

Pakistan's thrust that outstanding disputes with India should be resolved through diplomacy is laudable. The stance has won laurels in the US and Russia, as well as the UN, where Islamabad had sent in its emissaries to convince the world community that India should opt for a policy of dialogue and restraint, rather than unilateralism or intimidation.

The Pakistani delegates made a forceful point by telling the US legislators that Delhi should exhibit respect for International Law, UNSC resolutions and the Indus Water Treaty, and desist from war-mongering to appease its domestic agenda at the cost of regional peace and security.

Islamabad's synopsis, as reiterated by Bilawal, that there is no military solution, and only diplomacy and dialogue can deliver lasting peace in South Asia must resonate in world capitals. It is imperative that the Kashmir dispute be resolved and the cross-border terrorism enigma be sorted out once and for all by huddling of heads and hearts. Let there be a perpetual de-escalation and not merely a thaw.