Tense ties

Hostile statements by leaders of both countries mean only that hawks on both sides of the Wagah Border are benefiting

The uncalled-for comments by Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj that the $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is not acceptable to New Delhi, and that this opinion has been conveyed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Beijing, does nothing to mend the already strained relations between India and Pakistan. The Chinese ambassador to New Delhi was also summoned to lodge a protest in this regard. The illogic behind the assertion from Ms Swaraj, known to be a hardliner, has been exacerbated by her insistence that India had no intention of resuming the disrupted talks process with Pakistan. This refusal to talk will, of course, make it harder to sort out whatever misgivings India has about a project that opens up enormous potential for Pakistan and stands to benefit millions of people. According to media reports, these concerns are based around the fact that the CPEC passes through Azad Kashmir, raising angst in the Indian capital about possible military use of the project against India at some stage. Even though China and Pakistan have ruled out the possibility of the corridor being utilised to hurt any third party, this does not appear to have calmed the hawks in India.

Even apart from the highly unfortunate Indian stance over the CPEC, there has lately been growing hostility between the two countries, and apparently, a growing lack of reason on both sides of the border. The leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami, Sirajul Haq, while speaking in Muzaffarabad recently, announced a bounty of Rs1 billion for anyone who would arrest Prime Minister Modi. While the statement might have only been a rhetorical one, it is obviously not a responsible one and does nothing for the cause of peace. Rhetoric of this kind only builds up further ill-will and the hype that we are already seeing.

An especially ridiculous aspect of this was demonstrated in the Indian Punjab where a pigeon located some four kilometers away from the Pathan Kot area was “taken into custody” on allegations that it was spying. These came after villagers spotted writing in the Urdu script and a wire or other metal object on the unfortunate bird. The pigeon now caged at an Indian police station has not been proven to have been carrying any spying device — but just a fact that its presence created so much hysterical action is quite absurd and reflects the paranoia and suspicion that both sides have of each other.

All this, particularly the tone taken by senior government members in India of late, have given traction to Pakistan’s fears that India has a hand in the subversive activities going on in Balochistan. Concern has also been expressed by China in this regard in recent times. Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar’s statement of using terrorists to defeat terrorists has also not helped matters one bit, playing directly into the hands of hawks on the Pakistani side.

These developments are all deeply disturbing. Given the Indian external affairs minister’s statement, it will be difficult for Pakistan to ignore the possibility of New Delhi making attempts to prevent the CPEC from being built, which could lead to actions and statements on Pakistan’s part that will further raise temperatures. The hostile statements by leaders of both countries mean only that the hawks on both sides of the Wagah Border are benefiting, at the cost of the millions of ordinary Indians and Pakistanis. These people would benefit hugely from closer, more fraternal relations, which could help bring much-needed stability and allow a focus on the development work badly needed in both nations.

Right now the hawks in both countries seem to have no interest in this and instead have put their energies into attempting to hurt bilateral relations and create a still more difficult situation for the region, which badly needs peace at all costs.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2015.

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