"Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations – entangling alliances with none."
– Jefferson
President Asif Zardari’s visit to India has once again raised the possibilities for progress on issues and differences between the two nations. Earlier, visits by leaders from both the countries have failed to provide tangible results.
While Islamabad has been trying to find practical, pragmatic solutions to the challenges facing India and Pakistan, New Delhi has been harping on the well rehearsed tune of terrorism, including the latest Hafiz Saeed case. The Indian government, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, is a weak coalition, and thus will not be able to take any decision that is not popular with some of its partners against Pakistan. Despite this, President Zardari rightly discussed the issues of Jammu and Kashmir, Siachen and Sir Creek with the Indian Prime Minister.
Against this backdrop, the Indians have been very hostile towards Pakistanis and have now unleashed a propaganda campaign against them creating a false impression that Pakistan is using terrorism as an instrument of diplomacy. It may be pertinent to point out that when an uprising took place in occupied Kashmir during which children between the ages 6 to 12 pelted stones at the Indian forces, the leaders in New Delhi falsely informed the international community that it was Pakistani sponsored terrorism.
According to latest reports, India is purchasing military hardware worth billions of dollars, adding sophisticated aircrafts and taking on lease a nuclear submarine from Russia. This military build-up by it is useless against China; perhaps, this will be used to intimidate its neighbours or achieve hegemonic designs in South Asia. While the Indian leadership is well aware of the fact that any adventure or misplaced notion about Pakistan's resolve to defend itself could lead to catastrophic results, yet it continues to build up its armed forces.
Moreover, Washington, which is eyeing the one billion strong Indian market for their capital goods in an effort to prop up USA’s tottering economy, is blindly supporting it without caring for the sensibilities of Pakistanis. New Delhi is also exploiting the American administration by claiming that it is only India that has the capability to contain China, which is rapidly acquiring the status of a global power.
After Zardari’s visit, the onus now remains on India to satisfy Pakistan that it is prepared to abandon its decades-old policy of hostility and is willing to resolve all outstanding issues, including occupied Kashmir. PM Manmohan has also accepted the invitation to visit Pakistan; it will be during his visit that the situation will become clear as to whether there has been any progress between the two countries. It may also be of interest to know that in case India and Pakistan genuinely resolve the issues, the entire SAARC block will benefit from it. However, if the Indians refuse to see reason and continue with their rigid policy on the issue of occupied Kashmir, then no real progress will be possible. It will only lead to a cosmetic improvement in the Indo-Pak relations.
Needless to say, there are already several proposals from the Pakistani government lying with the Indian administration, including the issue of troop reduction from the disputed valley and a policy ensuring that no nuclear attack, even accidental, may occur. The Indians, who have acquired a very profitable civil nuclear deal from the US, must also stop bickering on this issue and opposing Pakistan’s effort to acquire a similar deal for itself.
Even in the area of business and trade, while there is a lot of potential between the two countries, the real benefits will only come if India resolves issues like Sir Creek and withdraws from Siachen to create a better understanding. While the Indians are harping that their foremost desire remains the normalisation of India-Pakistan relations, yet they have not taken practical steps to convert it into a reality.
To achieve this, they need to dilute their stated position. However, the mere fact that President Zardari and PM Manmohan have agreed to speed up the dialogue process recently resumed and other issues, like people-to-people contact and a liberal visa policy, would improve the evironment between India and Pakistan.
Another plus point that came out of the visit was the contact between Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Rahul Gandhi. It would be in the fitness of things if a team of young parliamentarians from Pakistan goes to India to feel the pulse of the Indian people and the hostile environment that created by their leadership. Likewise, young parliamentarians from India should come to Pakistan to realise that Pakistanis are willing to establish a working relationship with them, but on the basis of equality and the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of each other.
Nevertheless, it is in India’s larger interest to reduce the trust deficit and create a more conducive environment to increase progress between the two states. This can only happen if it moves towards resolution of the Kashmir issue. In case New Delhi does not show its willingness to resolve it, the Indo-Pak relationship will continue to move in circles and it may not be possible for them to move forward. One hopes that before the Indian Prime Minister comes to Pakistan, the leadership in India and Pakistan would have worked out on certain issues to remove the present hurdles that exist in the way of normalisation of relations between the nuclear powers.

n    The writer has been associated with various newspapers as editor and columnist. At present, he hosts a political programme on Pakistan Television.
    Email: zarnatta@hotmail.com