New Delhi has to recognise that there are even bigger matters at stake here. PHOTO: FILE
We need to be prepared for the change that is coming. The withdrawal of the US from Afghanistan next year will inevitably place huge pressures on nations in the region to take more responsibility for what is happening within their borders and ensure that order can be established as far as possible. Pakistan and India need to take the lead in this, and they can do so realistically only if they are willing and able to work together. For this, they need closer ties, better understanding and the ability to work together. We must, therefore, hope India reacts positively to the new dossier outlining a route to peace handed over to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by the Special Assistant to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Foreign Affairs, Tariq Fatemi, who formed part of a Pakistani delegation visiting New Delhi.
In the past, New Delhi has rejected peace overtures from Pakistan, or treated them rather coldly. Recent friction along the Line of Control has added to the problems. We understand these are tied in to India’s domestic situation and the general election due in that country in just a few months, which makes peace with Pakistan hostage to the necessity of gaining votes. However, looking past these, New Delhi has to recognise that there are even bigger matters at stake here. It is simply essential for the people of both nations and for those making up the region as a whole that we move forward towards a fully functional relationship. After all, Pakistan and India are always going to occupy the geographical spot that now makes up their territory. There is then no alternative but to learn to live together.
Pakistan’s dossier is set to include a plan to move towards resuming the composite dialogue. Prime Minister Sharif has also proposed informal talks on Sir Creek and the Siachen Glacier. We know, too, that the US is desperate for Islamabad and New Delhi to put aside their differences. The rather stubborn position taken by India on this needs now to be abandoned and the wider interests of millions of people put ahead of those of the hawks who oppose peace in either country.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 16th, 2013.
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Why this importance to this so-called “dossier”? What happened to the numerous dossiers handed over to Pakistan by India for the Mumbai attacks?
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“which makes peace with Pakistan hostage to the necessity of gaining votes”. No sir. Peace between India and Pakistan has been held hostage by Pakistani establishment’s grotesquely successful policy of projecting “Hindu” India as the permanent enemy which must be fought all the time and state policy of creating and using Jihadis. Please don’t fool yourself or your readers that an election in India has any real impact on the peace process.
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@Editorial: Stubborn position by India ? ALl three wars started by Pakistan, It still does not make any effort in reigning in terrorists involved in Mumbai massacre. It wants to burry the past because throughout the past it has been an aggressor and instigator of violence. And now it wants to initiate peace before correcting any of it’s mistakes. India after 66 yrs of patience is being firm on it’s ground which is good for Indians. Pakistan had 66 years to be progressive but it just focused on bleeding India and get Kashmir. Answers to all solution lie within Pakistan, stop shifting blame on India.
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**> peace with Pakistan hostage to the
How wrong is this statement! Indian voters want peace with Pakistan!!! Actually the truth is Indian voters are aware that any promise / dossier by the PM of Pakistan has no value unless the military and security establishment of Pakistan are also on board ( since they control foreign and security policies). Since there is no way to prove they are on board, the only way Pakistan can show this ( if they are really on-board) is by displaying some concrete signals. The key among them are – arrest and deportation of the Mumbai attackers, arrest and deportation of known terrorists like Dawood, etc.
Promises and papers by PMs of Pakistan as no value. When the next attack from Pakistan takes place – they’ll simply call it ‘non-state actors’, mouth some platititudes and then quieten down.
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Once again the Editor misses the Elephant in the Room — Pakistan’s govt doesn’t control foreign policy the military does – same military that uses terrorist as strategic assets – same military that fires artillery across the border, started Kargil conflict, and test fires missiles every time the civilian govt gets serious about friendly relations. Suggest you fix who controls the military and then work on peace with your neighbors.
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Todays’s two Editorials: what do they have in common?
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In relation to Peace with India and the IP Pipeleine….we can see a common Pakistani style: diarrhea of statements with no action or action in direct opposition to the statements. Pls dont think that people cannot detect the duplicity!.The stink lasts a long time!
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Rhetoric and Dossiers aside, initiative for genuine peace must come from Pakistan … and must come through concrete and tangible actions … Kashmir as the bargaining chip, has long outlived its utility, and can not substitute for the Mumbai massacre, which is still fresh in the minds of the people in India … it is the Pakistani leadership, that has to make the choice for peace, not India …Recommend
ET editors,
In other words Pakistan will not co-operate or follow up on the 100s of dossiers supplied by India over 5 years on Mumbai attack, or the 1000s of dossiers supplied on other pakistan based terrorist activities. But India should respond to your newly minted dossier ? For what?
Just as in the case of other anti-India lies your country men peddle, it looks like you start to believe in your own propaganda. Elections have nothing to do with India having no desire to have “dialogue” or “informal talks” with Pakistan.
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Dear Pakistan, I have a peaceful solution for both our countries. You keep the land that you have and we’ll keep ours. Let Hindus move to India freely from Pakistan and Muslims from India to Pakistan.
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India is unlikely to move forward on any issue because it knows that the civilian Government does not control the Military Establishment which sets policy, nor can it deliver on any promise. Actions speak louder than words, when actions match words spoken prospects for forward movement will be enhanced. Till then we have to keep hearing the meaningless garbage churned out by political forces. It is sad that utterances of the Government of Pakistan lack credibility and are taken with a pinch of salt.
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“——We need to be prepared for the change that is coming. The withdrawal of the US from Afghanistan next year will inevitably place huge pressures on nations in the region to take more responsibility for what is happening within their borders and ensure that order can be established as far as possible. Pakistan and India need to take the lead in this, and they can do so realistically only if they are willing and able to work together. —“
I disagree to : ” …..order should be establishe, as far as possible …” On the contrary complete ORDER is the need of the 21st century !!!
” —Pakistan & India need to take the lead…”
No ! It is the leaders and statesmen of both nations who have to take the lead.
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An editorial based on reality and hopefully a positive outcome. Why can’t commentators from across the border be more constructive about the future? We can learn from the past but sadly can not change it.
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@Reddy:
You tend to forget that India is a secular democracy,and Muslims in India are as much its citizens as you or any other Indian is.
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