Relations between India and Pakistan have once again become tense after a rare militant attack in Indian Punjab. A gunfight ensued between the Indian security forces and three militants who went on the rampage in Dinanagar area of Gurdaspur District on July 27. The militants, who attacked a bus and a roadside eatery, finally holed up in an abandoned building after attacking a local police station, where they were killed after an exchange of fire that lasted about 11 hours. Four police officers including the local superintendent and three civilians died in the operation.There was no evidence offered; indeed, even the identity of the terrorists, one of whom is believed to have been captured alive, was not known by the time the Indian media and some — though fortunately, only some — Indian officials began to blame Pakistan and the ISI here.Indian security sources said that the attackers were suspected of belonging to either the Lashkar-e-Taiba or the but offered no evidence of membership of either, only saying that the men were not Sikhs. Whoever was responsible for the attack, it will have automatically fuelled the trust deficit that already exists, and further bedevil any chance of peace between the two states. This was exemplified by the Indian Punjab’s chief minister calling off a meeting with the Pakistani high commissioner to India, as well as Indian cricket authorities indicating that there is no chance of bilateral cricket ties between the countries resuming any time soon. The recent meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif now appears to have been a little more than cosmetic, and has not translated into a lowering of tension, nor should be seen as an indicator of willingness on the part of India to modify positions held since Partition. Neither India nor Pakistan seem prepared to move an inch on the issue that lies at the heart of the conflict — Kashmir. It is entirely possible that the attackers were part of a homegrown Indian group, and had not come from across the border. In that scenario, perhaps some of the public mistrust on both sides of the border would have been curbed, leading to more sensible, less reactionary responses in India and the Pakistani establishment seeking to help immediately rather than focus on something else altogether. But all is not lost yet. As the facts from Gurdaspur emerge in the days ahead, Pakistan could extend its full cooperation in the investigation — if the facts do point to a role in Gurdaspur of elements operating from Pakistani soil.
pk.shafaqna.com
