Zardari-Singh meet: A window of hope and opportunity

Apparently, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari is visiting India to pay obeisance at the Dargah of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer. Whether a reason was created for Zardari to visit India to provide an impetus to dialogue or else by tucking a working lunch during a private visit an opportunity is being availed in order to carry the talks forward is a matter of conjecture. Whatever the truth, Zardari’s visit is a welcome addition to an already existing feel-good factor between the two otherwise estranged neighbours. 

An upswing in Indo-Pak relations being felt for few weeks now got a boost last month when Pakistan announced its decision to ‘liberalise trade with India by moving from a positive list to a shorter negative list of goods.’ Acknowledging the positive gesture of ‘liberalising trade’, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh thanked his counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani when they met recently on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul. And before that, the Indian business community staged a first-ever Indian trade show in Lahore in February that was received well. As a further show of growing bonhomie between the two countries — a seemingly near impossible proposition even few months before — last week, Pakistan allowed shipment of wheat from India via Karachi to Afghanistan. 

If all goes to plan, probably a more liberal visa regime could be announced during Zardari’s visit. This will almost complete the cycle of CBMs, unleashed piecemeal, to promote trade and people-to-people contact. With the help of more than a decade-long dialogue process and with initiation of multiple CBMs, despite Kargil, Parliament attack and 26/11 that very nearly pushed two-nuclear armed countries to the verge of a war, India and Pakistan have largely been able to maintain a semblance of peace. Obviously what has been achieved thus far besides the changed geopolitics after 9/11 largely restricting Pakistan’s ability to sustain high profile militancy is due to continuation of dialogue. No doubt, at times terrorist acts caused huge setbacks and even derailed the peace process. However, despite sharp provocations, that the two countries could sooner or later resume the dialogue has eventually helped to stabilise the situation.

Indeed, CBM’s have improved the atmospherics; hysterical war cries have almost quietened down. But India and Pakistan are yet to reconcile their differences; everlasting peace still remains a cherished dream. That a small incident of violence can cause a domino effect, even leading to war, abundantly underscores the limited efficacy of CBMs. Moreover, confidence building measures have also proved to be of little value in overcoming the perennial trust deficit. The era of piecemeal CBMs seems to have run its course; time has come for the two countries to make big strides towards the resolution of waxed problems.

Problems are to be resolved, but not necessarily in the classic or for that matter entrenched understanding of the problems. For peace to prevail it is not necessary to barter the territory or to build a scenario of victory and defeat. Instead of getting bogged down in competing interests, peace can easily be achieved by making possible convergence of interests.

Moving ahead in a resolute manner, Singh and Zardari without much difficulty can resolve at the first instance the doable Sir Creek and Siachen issues. Instead of never-ending wrangling over Sir Creek, the leadership of two countries should decide joint exploitation of its rich natural resources. Likewise, complete demilitarisation of Siachen is entirely possible; the advancement in technology in case properly applied will leave no room for future incursions or mischief by any country. The two agreements should eventually lead to make Kashmir a borderless territory without disturbing the respective claims of sovereignty of India and Pakistan. A domicile certificate for any person residing across the LoC should be enough for her or him to travel between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, Poonch and Rawalakot or Kargil and Skardu and vice versa. Not only free travel but movement of free goods should in the foreseeable future make redundant the LoC, dividing the two Kashmir’s.

Singh believes that he will visit Pakistan provided there is ‘something to celebrate.’ Anything to celebrate will not emerge from vacuum; however a decade after 9/11 a small window of opportunity has suddenly appeared. A prudent leadership by availing this opportunity can make peace possible. The leadership of the two countries needs to get hold of the fleeting moments or else the forces of doom are still capable of creating unforeseen mayhem.

firdoussyed@yahoo.com