Daily Times

The year 2016 will go down in history as one of the worst years in the Indo-Pakistan relations. Not that the relations in earlier years were much to write home about, however, what has changed is the complete breakdown of communications between the two countries. It appears that the politicians on both sides have buried their heads in the sand, with little or no effort being made to bring about a semblance of normalcy in the relations.

When Narendra Modi was elected as the prime minister, he invited his counterpart Nawaz Sharif to his oath taking ceremony. Modi’s decision was considered as a bold move to build good relations with the neighbour. It is also to the credit of Nawaz Sharif that, in spite of strong opposition from his countrymen not to accept Modi’s invitation, he responded positively by attending the ceremony. Last December, to the surprise of all the political pundits in India, Modi stopped over in Lahore to meet Nawaz Sharif. There was a great expectancy of the ordinary people of both the countries that these two leaders have shown courage to establish cordial and working relations between the two neighbours. Their meet was followed by a meeting of the National Security Advisers of both the countries to resolve all outstanding issues through dialogue.

Unfortunately, like the earlier attempts made by India’s former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Nawaz Sharif, few vested interests, who were alarmed by this development, conspired to derail the talks. Immediately, after the Lahore declaration, Kargil attack happened. The infamous Kargil attack was the brainchild of former General Pervez Musharraf.

Similarly, few days after Modi’s famous stopover at Lahore on 25 December 2015, six heavily armed terrorists, suspected to belong to Islamist militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed, attacked the Air Force Station in Pathankot. The Indian government was completely taken off guard by the attack and decided to put off any further talks with Pakistan.

Then on 18 September 2016, four heavily armed terrorists attacked an army camp near the town of Uri in the State of Jammu and Kashmir. It was reported as “the deadliest ever attack on security forces in Kashmir.” The militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed was suspected of carrying out the attack. India followed with a surgical attack at their bases near the line of control, a situation that would have escalated into a full-fledged war between the countries.

This attack happened at a time when the Kashmir Valley was burning after the killing of Burhan Wani, a suspected Hizbul Commander. Burhan, overnight, became a hero in Kashmir. Thousands of people, despite tight security arrangements, attended his funeral, as a show of solidarity. Young Kashmiri youth started stone pelting on the security forces as an expression of anger against the killing of Burhan. The security forces used pellet guns against the stone pelters, which, unfortunately, claimed the lives of over 80 persons. Besides, thousands of protesters and bystanders were severely injured due to the use of pellet guns.

In India, there is a growing feeling that terrorist organisations JuD and Jaish-e-Mohammed, with the backing of the Pakistan Army and ISI, had fuelled the unrest. There were also rumours floating in the Indian establishment that General Raheel Sharif, COAS, had used the terrorist organisations to carry out a proxy war against India. This assumption stemmed from the fact that Raheel Sharif had not forgiven India for the death of his brother and uncle during the 1965 war and was carrying a grudge against India.

If the relations between India and Pakistan continue to deteriorate, there is every possibility of a low-intensity war between the two countries, a situation that will bring misery to people on both sides. Moreover, in modern warfare, there can be no absolute victors. It is, therefore, incumbent on the leadership of both the countries, to restore normalcy by deescalating tensions at the border.

As we will soon be entering 2017, it is time to sit and reflect to mend the broken fences and restart the dialogue. Both the countries need to realise that clashes at the Line of Control, and sending terrorists across the border as part of the proxy war, have become counter-productive. It is true that at the heart of Indo-Pak dispute is the unresolved issue of Kashmir.

That leaves the question – what is the way forward? Here are a few suggestions for improving the Indo-Pak ties.

As no negotiation can take place in an atmosphere charged with mistrust, tensions and grandstanding, both the countries should put all their contentious issues on the backburner, and resume talks to create a congenial climate for future negotiations.

As the Kashmir issue is complex and defies any immediate solution that is acceptable to both the parties, as a first step, both India and Pakistan should allow free ingress and egress to people on both sides of Kashmir. This will go a long way in diffusing the tension and building a climate of trust and goodwill. Moreover, the people of Kashmir would welcome this step, as it will give them an opportunity to meet their relatives on either side of the border.

Both the countries should facilitate people to people contact, and promote cultural ties by encouraging the artists to visit each other. As sportsmen are ambassadors of peace, both the countries should resume the cricket and hockey ties. Who can forget the last time India visited Pakistan to play three Test matches; the reception they got from the ordinary people was unbelievable. There were instances when the shopkeepers refused to accept money from the Indian players. This shows that the ordinary people of both the countries want peace.

The new Chief of Staff of the Pakistan Army should support the civilian government in their endeavour to improve the ties with India. As he does not carry any past baggage, like his predecessors, there is an opportunity to take him on board in all future talks.

There are already some positive indications emanating from Pakistan. One, Sartaz Aziz attended the Heart of Asia Conference amidst the prevailing tensions between the two countries. In another significant development, Lieutenant General Amir Riaz, Commander Southern Command has invited India to join China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and ‘share the fruits of future development’. His invitation has been welcomed in the Chinese media. India should accept the offer, as it will help in not only bridging bridges between the two countries but will also help India to improve its relations with China.

Pakistan should also take a leadership role by including India in addressing the growing terrorism in Afghanistan, which is threatening to destabilise the Afghan government. This will help in finding an effective solution, which so far has been hindered by working at cross purposes.

In fact, in an editorial “Back to Talking”, Times of India has gone a step further recommending India to open direct channels of communication with Rawalpindi GHQ, as the Indian government is best placed to effect this shift, and overall to improve relations with Pakistan.” It is hoped that the new Chief of Staff of the Pakistan Army, who, incidentally does not carry any baggage, will support the civil government in improving the ties.

Both Modi and Sharif have already shown great statesmanship in attempting to further dialogue between both the countries, in spite of internal pressures. To borrow from Atal Bihari Vajpayee: “You can change your friends, but not your neighbours.”

Let us hope that 2017 ushers in a new chapter in India-Pakistan relations.

The author is an Independent Columnist and Political Commentator