Zardari visit: Separating pilgrimage from the separatists

Any political action during Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari’s day long lunch-and-pilgrimage visit to India will only be restricted to the closed door one-on-one with the Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh. Kashmiri separatist leaders, who have been regulars during such important visits, will be conspicuous by their absence.

Since the former Pakistan president Farooq Ahmad Leghari, had, during a 1995 visit to India, chosen to make it a convention for visiting Pakistani dignitaries to meet separatist leaders, this would be the first time that a visiting Pakistan president would not be meeting any separatist leaders from the valley.

Pakistani sources have cited a “tight schedule” and the visit’s “private” nature to soften any political implications that are likely to be attached to these developments. However, official sources here indicate that the Pakistani establishment may have also kept in mind Indian “sensitivities” after what had happened during Pakistan foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar’s visit to New Delhi.

India had expressed its strong exception to Khar’s meeting with separatist leaders during her July 2011 visit, and the then foreign secretary Nirupama Rao had even expressed concern at a joint press briefing. Rao had said, “We have a very different point of view on that event and we have expressed our concerns in a frank and candid manner to the Pakistani side.”

Post 26/11, India has viewed any such meetings with increasing
concern. There has clearly been a marked shift in India’s stand from the time they welcomed President Musharraf in 2005.    

It was former Foreign Secetary Shyam Saran who had reportedly said, “Pakistani leaders come, they meet any Hurriyat leaders ...we are a democratic country, we have no problem with these kind of meetings.”

Separatist leader and Chairman of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq told DNA that since Zaradari’s visit is a “personal” visit there is no scheduled meeting with the President. He also said that Hurriyat leaders have an invitation from the Pakistani government to visit Islamabad, and that he hoped President Zardari’s visit could create a “conducive atmosphere” for such a visit to happen, expectedly in April-May 2012.

“We think it is a positive development, and we hope some sort of a new beginning could be made, in terms of relations, trust building, on a mechanism to move forward. Sadly, there is no mechanism. Unless there is a political will ... It is such meetings that can provide a positive impetus to the process. Although it is a personal visit, in terms of India-Pakistan relations it is an important visit,” he added. 

Official sources said there have been a number of requests from various people for a meeting with President Zardari, including the family members of Indian national Sarabjit Singh who is on death row in Pakistan, and also officials from the Haj Committee. “The decision to grant these meetings lies with the Pakistani side,” government sources said.

President Zardari would be accompanied by a 40-45 member delegation, which will include his “son Bilawal, a cousin, a businessman friend, Interior Minister Rehman Malik and other officials from the President’s office, including the Military Secretary”. There was no official confirmation till late in the evening about whether Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, or President Zardari’s two daughters Bhakhthawar and Asifa would also be accompanying him.

Official sources said most delegates will arrive in advance, and that would include President Zardari’s security officials, and media personnel. “The President would be arriving at 11:30 tomorrow morning with about a dozen people,” official sources informed.

Indian officials would include External Affairs Minister SM Krishna, Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai, National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon, and “some Members of Parliament.” Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, PK Bansal would be the “minister-in-waiting” and will accompany President Zardari through his day long visit to New Delhi, Jaipur and Ajmer.

President Zardari would have a working lunch with Prime Minister Singh at 1 pm on Sunday, which will be preceded by a “half-an-hour long” closed door meeting between the two leaders. He will then proceed to Jaipur and from there on to Ajmer where he will pay obeisance at the dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti before departing the same evening for Islamabad.