But PM’s overtures will be meaningless minus Pakistan's co-operation.
Those close to the prime minister say that like his predecessor Atal Behari Vajpayee, Manmohan Singh is determined to make that vital ‘breakthrough’ with Pakistan, believing that peace will usher in an era of prosperity in the region and benefit the people of both countries.
Not surprisingly then, despite the stormy Sharm-el-Sheikh aftermath, the PM once again dared to stretch out a hand of friendship to Pakistan. This time, however, he ensured a safety net by making the gesture in the presence of his party president Sonia Gandhi, at Anantnag on Wednesday.
He also made certain of not crossing the line. He said that India was ready to talk on all issues, provided Islamabad does its part and punishes anti-India terror groups.
“He has been saying this for some time now — ‘Take action against terrorists and dismantle their infrastructure, then we are ready to talk again’,” said former diplomat KC Singh. “And with Sonia Gandhi looking on, he is unlikely to fall out
of line.”
Earlier this year, Singh had been pilloried not just by the opposition but, more significantly, by his own party for the joint statement issued after his meeting with Pakistan’s premier Yousaf Raza Gilani, on the sidelines of the non aligned summit in Egypt.
Singh’s peace efforts echoed that of former prime minister Vajpayee, who offered an olive branch to Pakistan during a visit to Srinagar in April 2003. “The prime minister’s desire to break the deadlock with Pakistan is very evident. It was there during his talks with Gilani in Egypt. This shows that despite the flak he received (after Sharm-el-Sheikh), he is willing to give peace a chance,” said former foreign secretary Salman Haider.
The PM’s overtures to Pakistan coincided with the visit of US secretary of state Hillary Clinton to Islamabad. The US is keen that India resumes the stalled composite dialogue quickly so that the Pakistan military — now waging a deadly offensive against the Taliban-al Qaeda forces in south Waziristan — can rest assured that the border remains peaceful and not be distracted from their fight by worries about India.
In an interview to Pakistan’s Geo television network, Clinton praised the confidence building measures that were put together by both countries before the Mumbai attacks. “So we are going to encourage and hope that we can see that occurring again because, at the end of the day, my view is that India and Pakistan have so much more to gain by working through their very difficult relationship.” She stressed it was very important to follow up on what happened in Sharm-el-Sheikh.
But after the 26/11 attack, Singh needs the co-operation of Pakistan to launch a peace initiative as he has to reckon with domestic political opinion outraged at the Mumbai. terror strikes. Unless Islamabad is seen to be sincere in bringing those involved to book, the PM can make little headway.
However, with the latest salvo from Pakistan, that India is aiding the Taliban, not much can be expected from the other side for now. Most analysts shrugged off the PM’s peace talks saying little can be expected from Islamabad. “The prime minister appears confused. He wants to do something, but it would be dangerous to rush into dialogue unless Indian concerns are addressed by Pakistan. I don’t see that happening,” says G Parthasarathy, former Indian high commissioner to Islamabad.
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