Continued violations
Quite clearly, India is in an aggressive mood and not ready to take the steps needed to restore calm
A file photo of Indian security forces across the LoC. PHOTO: AFP
Unfortunately, the meeting between the heads of Rangers and the Indian Border Security Force on September 10, in which it had been agreed to restore the ceasefire which dates back to 2003, has not been a success. The spate of firing and mortar attacks across the Line of Control (LoC) and the Working Boundary continues and on September 16, the Indian deputy high commissioner was summoned to the Foreign Office and an official protest was lodged against the death of a Pakistani soldier in a mortar attack. There had been hope that the meeting between the two senior military officers, held after many months, would lead to a calming of the situation. Nothing, in fact, seems to have changed.
The question is: where do we go from here? The Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz, has made it clear that the onus for calling any fresh meeting to discuss the issue lies with India. He has pointed out that it was New Delhi that called off the scheduled dialogue between the National Security Advisers of both countries a few weeks ago and there has been little direct contact between the two capitals since then. Pakistan says India has made no offer of a dialogue on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting.
Things then do not look good, and we are posed with serious questions regarding ways to escape the stalemate we have reached and the animosity that goes with it. Quite clearly, India is in an aggressive mood and not ready to take the steps needed to restore calm. To make matters more complicated, we see a very hawkish stand from the Indian media, which seems to be bent on pushing forward the line that Pakistan is to blame for all incidents occurring on the LoC. This is, of course, not entirely accurate and will only influence public opinion in India against Pakistan. Greater trust and tolerance for the other, if not friendship, need to be developed between both sides if we are to get past differences that have developed over the last many years. There is no other way to foster lasting calm in the region, which looks like a distant prospect at the moment.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 18th, 2015.
The question is: where do we go from here? The Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz, has made it clear that the onus for calling any fresh meeting to discuss the issue lies with India. He has pointed out that it was New Delhi that called off the scheduled dialogue between the National Security Advisers of both countries a few weeks ago and there has been little direct contact between the two capitals since then. Pakistan says India has made no offer of a dialogue on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting.
Things then do not look good, and we are posed with serious questions regarding ways to escape the stalemate we have reached and the animosity that goes with it. Quite clearly, India is in an aggressive mood and not ready to take the steps needed to restore calm. To make matters more complicated, we see a very hawkish stand from the Indian media, which seems to be bent on pushing forward the line that Pakistan is to blame for all incidents occurring on the LoC. This is, of course, not entirely accurate and will only influence public opinion in India against Pakistan. Greater trust and tolerance for the other, if not friendship, need to be developed between both sides if we are to get past differences that have developed over the last many years. There is no other way to foster lasting calm in the region, which looks like a distant prospect at the moment.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 18th, 2015.