Presidential pilgrimage

Zardari's visit is an ideal opportunity to engage in discussions with the Indians, he ought to use this visit wisely.

President Asif Ali Zardari’s decision to make a pilgrimage to the shrine of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in the Rajasthan city of Ajmer is, of course, a purely personal one. Zardari, like thousands of others, wishes to pray at the burial site of one of the most revered Sufi saints in the history of the subcontinent and by doing so, he will pay homage to a man known for his vision, his wisdom and his message of tolerance. The visit is scheduled to take place on April 8 but, despite the nature of the trip, it is obvious that the visit will entail a great deal more than a devotional outing. Reports emanating from New Delhi indicate the government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is eager to use the visit, however brief, as an opportunity to initiate talks. There is discussion, too, on the protocol to be extended to the visiting head of state and other engagements to be organised for him. The visit to Ajmer Sharif provides an ideal opportunity for the Pakistani president to engage in discussions with the Indians and he ought to use this visit wisely.

There is certainly a lot for the president to talk about with his counterparts in New Delhi. At a time when a review of its ties with Washington is underway, Pakistan needs to build a circle of friends. This is especially true given that the US has hinted towards using India as a ‘threat’ with recent statements suggesting that the country would be an alternative if the Nato supply-line through Pakistan was not restored. The regional situation is a complex one and Islamabad needs to keep channels with neighbours open and cordial.

President Zardari’s visit offers a time for this process to move quietly ahead. Issues such as the supply of power from India can also be discussed; the matter has already been raised between the prime ministers of the two countries at the recent Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul. The trip to Ajmer Sharif is considerably significant, stretching well beyond the purely personal and into the arena of politics. Let us hope this bears some positive fruit so that the process of dialogue can at least be accelerated.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 3^rd, 2012.