Daily Times

When Abu Jundal was arrested on New Delhi airport earlier this month, the newly developed relation between Pakistan and India on economic cooperation seemed to have come under pressure. It was feared that the spate of accusation being hurled from both sides over the revelations by Abu Jundal could damage the dialogue process that has seen both the countries talking on substantial issues. However, the dialogue between India and Pakistan at the foreign secretaries level in New Delhi has set the tone for future relationship, giving a signal for the continuation of dialogue irrespective of the belligerence on matters pertaining to terrorism and other political disputes. The wisdom of regional cooperation amidst growing interconnectivity in the international sphere seems to have prevailed. This development however goes largely in the interest of Pakistan facing international isolation since the roots of terrorism has been traced to it on May 1 2011, when Bin laden was captured by the US forces in Abottabad.

On the concluding day of their talks the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan, Ranjan Mathai and Jalil Abbas Jilani held a joint press conference. There was a conscious effort by both of them to appear detached from the Abu Jundal episode, but on the repeated instance of media, both the secretaries expressed it a shared responsibility of their countries to combat terrorism as a common enemy. The secretaries appealed to the media on both sides to restrain playing hostile propaganda against the other. Mr. Mathai categorically stated India’s desire to continue dialogue over confidence building measure and other issues but stressed that Pakistan’s effort in capturing Mumbai attack masterminds would be the biggest confidence building measure of all. The two foreign secretaries are set to meet again to pave way for the foreign minister level talks in September, when Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna would visit Pakistan. On his part Jilani reiterated Pakistan’s stance to jointly investigate the Mumbai attacks but rejected India’s accusation that Pakistan’s intelligence or security agencies were involved in 26/11-terror attack in Mumbai. On Kashmir both sides agreed to find a peaceful solution by “narrowing divergences and building convergences.”

Having reached the maturity of looking beyond political conflicts, it is time for both the countries to make some practical efforts in materialising the CBMs agreed upon and implementing economic decisions. The opening up of trade between both the countries has not seen new progress since the talks over the visa relaxation was halted by Pakistan to be resolved at the minister level and not at the diplomatic level. Development along visa issue is extremely important to bring people to people contact frequent and easy. Unless ice over such issues is removed, economic cooperation, as has been envisaged, the only leverage that could bring warmth in the relation of both the countries could not be achieved.

It goes to the credit of the civilian government in Pakistan for modelling a new relation with India. A realization that the policy of aggression toward the neighbouring countries has boomeranged, would give Pakistan a much needed face to confront the world especially its friends in China and Saudi Arabia, who are also growing impatient with Pakistan’s affiliation with extremists. For the Indian side, tagging Manmohan Singh’s visit to Pakistan to the political development on core issue especially the Mumbai attack is akin to strengthening the designs of the enemies seeking persistent derailment in the relationship of the two countries. In the context of US exit from Afghanistan India and Pakistan hardly afford a tussle that could compromise their security concern in an uncertain atmosphere that is bound to prevail once Afghanistan is largely in the hands of its local forces. *