Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s recent trip to Goa to participate in a conference of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation would go down in history for a variety of reasons. By standing firm and holding ground in the face of an unbelievably cold reception, he has made his credentials clear to anyone who still eyed his dynastic background with suspicion. Similarly spectacular has been Pakistan’s emphasis on restraint and the determination to call a spade by no other name but a spade. While expectations were never high for peace prospects, it takes extreme courage to stomach comments like “terrorism industry” and hit back with plain yet hard-hitting facts. In an attempt to lay the burden at our doorstep, the Indian foreign ministry conveniently forgot the very recent example of Kulbhushan Yadav. Was he too a Pakistani national on the payroll of the Pakistani government to spearhead terrorism/separationist movements in Pakistan? Though it may not appear so at first glance, Mr Bhutto-Zardari has managed to kill many a bird with one ordinary-looking stone. He decided to visit a country where a leading party has announced a Rs 2-crore reward on his head. Defending the politics of his rivals, presenting a united front and raising the Kashmir banner are all splendid hallmarks of a successful visit, none of which could have been achieved by sitting at home. The daring masterstroke has not gone unnoticed as government spokespersons from member countries headed to Pakistan to discuss matters of mutual interest. Enjoy your grand win, Mr Foreign Minister, for the ball now rests with the notorious hawks. The relationship between estranged cousins is just as unsafe as yesterday. All the tinderbox needs is one trigger, one act of provocation to burst into flames. Therefore, cautious advocacy, punctuated with diplomatic traditions, holds the greatest appeal in such difficult times. *