Sushma Swaraj came up with a sterling performance at her press conference on Saturday evening when she cleverly drew the red lines for Pakistan over the NSA-level talks without unilaterally calling off the 23-24 August meeting between National Security Advisors of both the countries. This is, by far, one of the best performances ever by an Indian foreign minister. The two most important red lines drawn by her are given in her quote: “If they are willing to come, we welcome them but we want an assurance from Pakistan that talks will only be on terror and the NSA will not meet the Hurriyat.” The Pakistan Foreign Office, in response to a statement by the Indian External Affairs Minister stated Saturday night that it would not accept dialogue with such pre-conditions. Essentially, India had made sure it turned down the talks with the statement issued by Swaraj after days of uncertainty over the dialogue scheduled for the 23rd and 24th of this month. The problems that broke out amid heightening unrest between the two nations as skirmishes along the Line of Control claimed more and more lives came to a head when Swaraj issued her hard-line statement. The word meant the visit by Sartaj Aziz to New Delhi to meet his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval was for all intents and purposes cancelled. Pakistan’s Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid has said that India made a clear U-turn on its previous position while there was no change in Pakistan’s stance. The FO, in its statement, has also said terrorism was always on the agenda and there was every intention to discuss it, but this could not be the sole topic for talks. NSA talks which were scheduled to take place on August 23 and 24 flowed from a decision taken by the two Prime Ministers on July 10, in Ufa. However, Sartaj Aziz has declared these as being beneficial for only one side, where nothing substantial will come out of them. This was the second time that India has chosen to go back on a decision mutually agreed upon between the two Prime Ministers. It may not seem so, but this is a good thing as it provides more clarity on the matter. It has made it clear that India is not ready to settle, and Pakistan will quit its “good cop” routine. Kashmir is never the topic of discussion for both countries and without a resolution of Kashmir there will be no peace. Talking about terrorism without Kashmir will get India and Pakistan nowhere. Sartaj Aziz has been criticized in the past for being too soft and Kashmiri leaders have openly voiced their disappointment, but it seems he was trying to make the best of a bad situation. The Indian media has echoed this tone, setting up a situation for growing acrimony. The challenge for leaders is how to break through the barriers of hostility. They appear to be growing higher and higher with each passing week. It is unfortunate that the precise nature of discussions at Ufa were not more transparent and more carefully spelled out before the public. This complicates matters. But essentially it all boils down to attitude. India at present is not willing to abandon its increasingly anti-Pakistan position and this will make it harder than ever before to move towards the dialogue the two countries and the region so urgently need.
pk.shafaqna.com
