The confirmation of the news that Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Pakistan to attend the SAARC ministerial conference on August 3 can only be welcomed. This will be the first visit to Pakistan by a senior Indian leader after the Pathankot attack on January 2, which created tension between the two countries. Pressure is growing on the Narendra Modi government back home to not hold talks at any level with Pakistan, but as the moderates on both sides consistently maintain, no conflict can be resolved without engagement through a substantial process of dialogue. At the conference, a routine event for SAARC member states, India, reportedly plans to raise the issue of cross-border terrorism, and Pakistan’s alleged involvement in fanning protests in the Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan’s security agencies’ inaction against Jaish-e-Muhammad — the banned organisation that is allegedly involved in the Pathankot airbase attack — may also be taken up at the SAARC platform. In the wake of the ongoing protests in the Indian-occupied Kashmir, India’s attendance at the SAARC conference has gained more importance. Both Pakistan and India need to work out a workable strategy to resolve issues, and for that the first step is the initiation of a process of dialogue. Not that there is much hope for the status quo to change between Pakistan and India as is manifested by each new incident at the LoC or a terror attack allegedly perpetrated by Pakistani non-state actors. Forming the main narrative are the predicable knee jerk reactions, accusations, counter-accusations, jingoistic responses, and a threat to break all diplomatic ties. But despite the alarming situation in Jammu and Kashmir, for which India holds Pakistan invariably responsible, the Indian foreign office’s positive statement that it wants a peaceful and stable relationship with Pakistan is appreciable. India has further stated that it is prepared to discuss all outstanding issues with Pakistan but in an atmosphere free of terror and violence. The positive stance of the Indian side must be reciprocated in a similar fashion by Pakistan. But any future dialogue process between both states is fraught with certain implications. If both states stick to their approach of trying to win at the negotiating table what they failed to achieve on the battlefield, the whole peace process would remain fruitless. The main conflict between Pakistan and India is the Kashmir issue, and the ineffectiveness of war to gain full control of the region has resulted in nothing but bloodshed and chaos in Kashmir. The solution to the conflict that has existed since 1948 is not going to be simple, and both sides are aware of that. However, what is achievable is to have a mechanism that would focus on areas of common interests between the two countries before reaching the point of resolving the main issue. The first step would be for Pakistan to understand the redundancy of a “proxy war” in Kashmir or against India in any part of India. Terrorism cannot be an instrument of pressure, and Pakistan must ensure that no non-state actor from Pakistan engages in any act of terrorism in India. It is also imperative for the situation to change between Pakistan and India that Pakistan brings to justice the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and expedites the resolving of the Pathankot case against the Jaish-e-Mohammad. Looking at the history of countries with long-standing conflicts, Pakistan and India may also benefit if they were to focus and build on shared interests instead of remaining fixated on the original issue. With the building and strengthening of the two-way relationship based on various factors — people-to people interaction, cultural and literary exchanges, hosting of sporting events, active bilateral trade and cooperation on issues of terrorism — Pakistan and India could rewrite the context of their relationship, which in the best of times is nothing more than mild cordiality. When there is no vested interest, and there is nothing to lose, it is quite easy to simply announce a termination of ties. No country can alter its geographical reality, and since the borders of Pakistan and India link them to one another in a complex dynamic of proximity that is unavoidable, there is no alternative but to change the status quo. And the first step: start talking. Silence in this case is not golden, and a pragmatic dialogue without shrill rhetoric and jingoistic bombast is what is needed. Without further ado. And with the hope that a dialogue may initiate during the SAARC summit, here is to welcoming Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh to Pakistan.*