The vitriolic war of words between Pakistan and India continued with the same vigour on Monday as the Indian Minister for External Affairs speaking to the United Nations General Assembly alleged Pakistan’s involvement in cross-border terrorism and declared Kashmir to be “an integral part of India.” In response Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations Maleeha Lodhi highlighted Indian atrocities in the Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, its alleged involvement in destabilising Balochistan, and the status of Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory.
It is unfortunate that Pakistan-India statements follow the same worn-out script each time without giving either any ground for meaningful engagement. Forsaking a potentially beneficial relationship through trade and economic cooperation, Pakistan and India have been locked in the same self-defeating cycle of accusations and counter accusations since their inception. For any one observing the South Asian crisis from a neutral standpoint, the churlish intransigence of the two states becomes clearly apparent. Unfortunately, years of jingoistic conditioning has created a public sentiment in both countries that sees any change in position vis-à-vis each other in order to provide space for dialogue as capitulation, and this has greatly limited the two countries’ capacity for any diplomatic manoeuvring that might change things for the better.
Many see the animosity between Pakistan and India as one that cannot be resolved. A very stylised interpretation of history, which for the most part is based on gross anachronism, has been perpetuated and so deeply embedded in the public psyche that it has rendered the Pakistan-India ‘rivalry’ into a historic battle between Muslims and Hindus. This has, in turn, proved to be a major impediment towards peace building measures as sensationalist media on both sides of the border continues to pander to the public appetite towards meaningless point scoring. It is for this reason that leaders in both Pakistan and India have to repeatedly indulge in the same war of words lest they are accused by the public of not giving ‘a befitting reply’.
However, it is imperative that state-level dialogue is started to resolve all bilateral issues. If dialogue is to be successful then it has to be in line with ground realities and achievable objectives, and must be on mutually agreed terms. Furthermore, if history is any indication then the ‘enmity’ between Pakistan and India is not something that is doomed to perpetual irresolution. If the European countries that fought for centuries can not only resolve their issues but also make a supranational block, then the 69-year-old rivalry between Pakistan and India is something that is far easily surmountable. It is time for Pakistanis to introspect and question where this jingoistic chest-thumping has led them. While it is true that this time around the Pakistan vilification campaign that took the Indian media with unabated frenzy has to a great extent limited the space for voices that call for peace in Pakistan, nevertheless, the struggle for peace must be carried on. The people of the two countries have suffered a great deal from this fight, and it is Pakistanis who must take the initiative so that a message can be delivered to the world that Pakistan is ready for peace with India. *