A most welcome gesture
A growing sense of maturity may finally be pervading the fraught Pakistan-India relationship. On October 23, an Indian Army helicopter accidentally crossed over into Pakistani airspace. Naturally, Pakistani officials, not knowing the cause of the incursion at first, forced the plane to land and detained the four Indian officials on board. Thankfully, sanity prevailed. The hotline that exists between the director-generals of military operations for the two countries was employed and it turned out that the Indians had strayed into our territory by mistake, most likely because of bad weather. The Line of Control, which demarcates the border between the two countries, can be easy to cross given that it is not a straight, dividing line. Accidents like this are bound to take place and by swiftly releasing the Indians, Pakistan has made it far more likely that its soldiers will be released if they accidentally cross the line in the future.
Heartening though this episode may be, it should also serve as a wake-up call to both Pakistan and India. Both are quick to seize on men who have mistakenly crossed the border, both by land and sea. Fishermen in particular are detained for an indefinite period and often denied consular access. If there is one thing this incident has taught us, it is that not even hi-tech radar systems can stop all incursions. Poor fishermen in rudimentary boats will make the same mistake far more regularly. For them, mercy not incarceration should be the order of the day.
Let us hope that the quick resolution of something that could have turned far uglier were it not for the level-headed thinking from both sides will serve as a model for the future. Incidents like this have the potential to spiral out of control as accusations about spying fly back and forth. Peace between Pakistan and India still may not be at hand but initial baby steps have been taken, with foreign minister-level talks and agreements on trade. The speedy resolution to the chopper incident can only help build trust and enable the process to inch forward. And that is far more important than boasting that we have Indian military personnel in custody.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 25th, 2011.