Comment: India’s punitive policy
The troubled India-Pakistan relations have now drifted to a crisis situation. The cancellation of the foreign secretary level talks scheduled for August 25 coincided with escalated tension on the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir and the Working Boundary that separates Indian administered Kashmir from Pakistani territory. The clashes of troops in the latter location became intense in the first week of October.
The bilateral relations deteriorated to such an extent despite Pakistan’s best efforts to salvage the bilateral dialogue process stalled since the end of 2012. Pakistan’s Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz’s statement in an interview with an Indian newspaper, reported in Pakistani press on September 29, aimed at reducing India’s irritation on the meeting of Pakistan’s High Commissioner in New Delhi with Kashmiri leaders on August 18-19. He described this meeting as somewhat ill-timed.
The proposed Foreign Secretary level talks were cancelled by India shortly after Pakistan’s High Commissioner in New Delhi met with a Kashmiri leader, Syed Shabbir Shah on August 18. This meeting was described by India’s Ministry of External Affairs as an effort “to interfere in India’s internal affairs.” On August 19, Pakistan’s High Commissioner met three Kashmiri leaders. India’s reaction to the first meeting was uncalled for because Pakistan’s High Commissioner used to meet the Kashmiri leaders from time to time in the past. Many a time, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister on visit to New Delhi met the Kashmiri leaders. Therefore, the meeting in August was not a new development.
The effort by Sartaj Aziz to dilute the negative diplomatic impact of the meeting was also surprising. Why should he complain about its timings? After all, Pakistan’s High Commissioner in New Delhi must be acting on the direction of the Foreign Office. If this was not the case, who directed him to engage the Kashmiri leaders? If the High Commissioner acted on his own, he should be reprimanded especially because the Secretary-level talks were not focused on Kashmir.
There is nothing wrong in Pakistan’s desire to improve and expand relations with India, including trade and economic ties. However, its India policy suffers from incoherence and a failure to recognize the new dynamics of this relationship.
Since the Mumbai terrorist attack (November 2008) India has reduced the India-Pakistan relations to a single-issue relationship. That is, Pakistan must satisfy India on the terrorism issue before taking up the resolution of other issues. Whereas India, supported by the United States, blamed Pakistan based militant groups for the Mumbai incident and violence in Kashmir, Pakistan shied away from addressing this question.
India’s notion of “limited war” and “punitive action” short of triggering a full-war is now manifesting itself in the shape of repeated violence on the LoC. The previous and the present Indian army chiefs have talked of adopting a tough line towards Pakistan, reflecting the growing role of the Indian army in shaping India’s Pakistan policy.
Pakistan needs to evolve a definite diplomatic response to India’s punitive strikes against the backdrop of the sharing of ideas between India and the US for coping with the Punjab-based militant groups focusing on Kashmir, the US designation of some Pakistan militant groups as terrorists and the growing confluence of interest between the hardliners inside the ruling BJP and the Indian army.
How can Pakistan convince the international community that its fight against terrorism is inclusive of all militant groups and the Modi government is engaged in violence against Pakistan for domestic reasons in view of India’s state elections, including the forthcoming Kashmir elections?
Published in The Express Tribune, October 10th, 2014.
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First principle which India and rest of the world had learnt so far is that no one can reason with Pakistan of its using terror as the state policy. India, US and other Western countries have repeatedly asked Pakistan to shun this ill-conceived policy and even warned it of grave consequences but failed to convince the latter. India and Pakistan came very close to fighting a war in 2001 on the same issue which forced Musharraf to stop cross-border terrorism for at least two years but the same has since continued with impunity. After Mumbai attack the relations worsened when Pakistan's complicity came to light and its failing to take any action against the accused and allowing them to openly threaten India publicly, hardened latter's stance towards Pakistan. The new Indian govt led by Modi made it explicitly clear that he would show zero tolerance to any border violation but Pakistan failed to pay heed and continued its business as usual even with more ferocity. This punitive action and massive response against border violations and incursions which Modi promised to the people of India before elections has been implemented to perfection and much to satisfaction of the armed forces who wanted a free hand to deal with Pak forces effectively and decisively. The ball now lies in the Pakistan's court to either stop border violations or face more consequences even graver than the one it faced during the present case. .
India would uses punitive action on border because it doesn't want full scale war with Pakistan, and it can't just keep on tolerating repeated violations of its border by a rogue army that isn't under the control of its own elected executive.
It is entirely up to Pakistani Generals to convert it into a full war by escalating it even further. It has done so 4 times before, so one more won't be a surprise. If Pakistanis believe an army that has undermined democracy in Pakistan, then they only have themselves to blame.
Islamabad shocked as Indian Army launches 'massive' retaliation to border firing... and confident PM Modi promises 'everything will be all right soon' | Daily Mail Online - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2785698/Islamabad-shocked-Indian-Army-launches-massive-retaliation-border-firing-confident-PM-Modi-promises-right-soon.html
@Abbu: All culprits of Samjhota express are in jail..some even without a charge sheet. Of course ignorance is bliss.
The author forgets about about the Samjhota express carnage and why its perpetrators have not been punished. How can this not be called terrorism?
There seems to be more to this than that meets the eye . How come both sides are so convincingly blaming the other side . Looks like neither are lying so obviously a third party has sneaked in between. They want both sides to blame each other . Lets investigate.
"How can Pakistan convince the international community ........." How can it, indeed! If the present level of violence can be ascribed to two State Elections in India, what should the General Elections in May 2014 have done? If this is the best a Pakistan "thinker" can do, I am not surprised Pakistan is short of an audience in world forums. From the overt cacophony of its street-level movements, it is evident Pakistan does not have even a local audience!
Time to prepare for war! Modi has a very dominant personality and it is showing up in his rhetoric......this is not the time for Pakistan to Back down!
Even after submitting enough proofs,Pakistan failed to handover the perpetrators of Mumbai carnage citing lack of proofs.You gave shelter to so many anti Indian terrorists and encourages them with IS I help to engage in India bashing.Still you want the world to believe you are against terrorism.After all OBL was shot dead in abbotabad after your repeated denials of his existence.First stop this double game you play with lives of innocent people.Then expect peace to prevail.No point in shedding crocodile tears about peace.It is a failed country and epicentre of terrorism in the world.
Is any Indian going to agree with the following cheap analysis?
Even as a Modi critic whom I have criticized unabashedly on Paki websites, I completely disagree with the following balderdash:
"How can Pakistan convince the international community that its fight against terrorism is inclusive of all militant groups and the Modi government is engaged in violence against Pakistan for domestic reasons in view of India’s state elections, including the forthcoming Kashmir elections?"
No Indian government will resort to this for domestic reasons.
Also, note that after the visit by Japan, China, Modi's visit to US, and his wielding the broom, MOdi is being seen as a super success story in India and also in Pakistan. Even though I disagree with this, this is the perception.
India is a mature democracy with solid institutions. There is no such thing as a growing influence of the army. The military serves the leaders and it only plays an advisory role. That will seem distorted if you view it from Pakistan's prism. If India's stance is any different today it is a consensus decision taken by the leadership. The army has no power to do anything without their say-so.
"How can Pakistan convince the international community that its fight against terrorism is inclusive of all militant groups..." ? It's very easy...just shut down all militatnt groups in Pakistan. What you are trying to do is impossible...you want to convince the international community, without doing anything in reality. No diplomat or foreign service officer can perdform such miracles.
If Pakistan can fire Rockets after Rockets into Afghanistan for allegedly sheltering TTP(on the other hand mock Afghan Leadership for their writ not extending beyond Kabul), the rules change on the LoC, eh?
http://tribune.com.pk/story/402891/afghanistan-accuses-pakistan-army-of-rocket-attacks/
Border issues exist among a lot of states in the world. But, no country will encourage Terror or breed Terrorists against another countries, to kill innocent civilians, except of course, one.
There seems to be unending political turmoil in Pakistan, the insurgents are not winning, but surely are not losing(recent naval dockyard attack is proof to that, their supporters are everywhere, especially in the Military), increasing isolation from the rest of the world, another free and fair Kashmir Elections, NATO pulling most of its troops out, Democracy seems to have no hope.
All this will melt away once India returns as the devil incarnate in the collective conscience of the people of Pakistan.
Bollywood is termed escapism for Indians, but for Pakistanis India is their escape. A reason to forget everything and unite and hate in unity.
Who ever have read 1984, can compare this to the "2 minutes of hate" ritual.
"How can Pakistan convince the international community that its fight against terrorism is inclusive of all militant groups"
Step 1: Admit that the terrorism was created by Pakistan Step 2: Admit that the terrorism was created by Pakistan to create trouble in Kashmir Step 3: Monitor your border and stop the terrorists from entering Kashmir Step 4: Try to convince the international community.