Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury The much-hyped meeting between the prime ministers of India and Pakistan, on the sidelines of the current United Nations general assembly session (UNGA), has raised hopes for bettering their often-battered bilateral ties. But sceptics say that the discussions between Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Mian Nawaz Sharif are merely another round of parleys at the highest level that is unlikely to produce much because of the complexity of their relationship. Nevertheless, such a summit, coming after a long gap, augurs well and would at least help arrest the trend of escalating tensions that are stemming from some recent incidents. The meeting between the two prime ministers evoked interests not only in the two countries, but also beyond for the reason that Nawaz Sharif is back at the helm of his country following the last elections that saw his party win the polls easily. He was ousted from power in a bloodless coup in 1999 by the then army chief General Pervez Musharraf at a time when his government was believed to be making efforts for improving ties with India, its arch rival. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his the then Indian counterpart Atal Bihari Vajpayee made effective strides towards better relations. Vajpayee later undertook a bus journey from India to Pakistan as a symbolic gesture for strengthening ties with India's perennially hostile neighbour. But Nawaz Sharif realised little that his overtures for peace with India had caused anger and unhappiness in some quarters in his country, probably also within the army, which later toppled him from power. The coup occurred against the backdrop of an incursion by the Pakistan army in Kargil in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir between May and July, 1999. The war caused loss of lives of many soldiers on the both sides. It is believed that the war was the brainchild of Pak army chief General Musharraf, who did not see eye to eye with Nawaz on the issue of bilateral relations with India. The army chief went on to stay in power for long nine years - a period that was particularly very difficult for Nawaz Sharif. Nawaz finally made it to power winning the general election in May, 2013. It is his third stint as the prime minister. His return at the helm of power has created an opportunity for improving bilateral relations with India, even though the path is strewn with many obstacles. It is not too long that Nawaz Sharif has taken over as the head of the government and in this short period of time he has shown some conciliatory gestures like releasing 340 Indian fishermen from Pakistani prisons. But the positive omens were recently overshadowed by negative happenings like the killing of 12 Indian troops by the militants in the disputed Kashmir region. India points fingers at Islamabad for such incidents. The trans-border militancy, which has so far defied any settlement, is a critical problem in Indo-Pak bilateral relations. Nevertheless, both sides affirmed in the New York meeting that efforts must continue for establishing reasonably cordial Indo-Pak relationship. The two countries have several key problems, including the Kashmir dispute, but it is the deficit of trust and confidence that often acts as a stumbling block to improving their bilateral ties. New Delhi is harping on Islamabad's failure to punish the perpetrators of the Mumbai killing in 2008 when attackers from Pakistan, targeting some famous sites and institutions in Mumbai, the commercial capital of India, killed 156 people. All attackers also lost lives in the encounters and one Ajmal Keshab, who was caught alive, was later hanged following court trial in India. The new Pakistani prime minister has pledged to work for expanding economic cooperation as there is an impression that two prime ministers may sincerely want bettering the difficult relations as both are Punjabis. Dr. Singh is originally from West Punjab, which is now in Pakistan, and Nawaz from East Punjab that is part of India after the 1947 Partition. Indo-Pak relations are contingent on several factors and domestic issues are inextricably linked with the efforts towards good ties. It is precisely for this reason that sceptics are not much hopeful about the outcome of Manmohan-Nawaz talks and seek to dismiss them as routine exercise. Nonetheless, the meeting is likely to impact positively the Indo-Pak ties. Meanwhile, Narendra Modi, who has recently been named by the main Indian opposition party BJP as its nominee for the post of prime minister, has severely criticised Manmohan Singh as a "weak" person who would not succeed in dealing with Pakistan. Modi told a public meeting in New Delhi that Pakistan needs "tough" treatment from India because of its "hostile" acts. Modi, known for his communal politics, is disliked by the secular and progressive forces in India, but is credited for transforming his Gujarat state, as its chief minister for the last decade, into an economic power house. He is also well-known for his anti-Pakistan attitude and it seems that any effort by the present Congress-led UPA government for improving ties with Pakistan may be frustrated by the opposition. Pakistan too has its compulsion to improve relations with India. Thus, sincere efforts by both sides can make some difference. zaglulbss@yahoo.com
Will Manmohan-Nawaz meeting help improve Indo-Pak ties?
FE Team | Published: October 02, 2013 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00
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