Diplomatic circles in Islamabad believe the Pakistani president’s extraordinary statement was quite important as it strengthens the belief that the major issues between India and Pakistan can be solved
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari’s statement that Islamabad was ready to agree to no-first-use of nukes, if India does largely reflects the wisdom that flows from a strategic consensus that a no-war pact with India was in Pakistan’s interest. But the harsh fact remains that it is the country’s military establishment currently has control over the nukes and could assert its own policy.
Diplomatic circles in Islamabad believe the Pakistani president’s extraordinary statement was quite important as it strengthens the belief that the major issues between India and Pakistan can be solved if the two sides take into consideration the dividends of peace.
They, however, doubt that Zardari was in a position to dictate terms and conditions of the elected parliament to the country’s military.
But optimists like foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi insist that for the first time in the country’s history, the Pakistani military leadership has decided to follow the politics of the elected government.
Qureshi reminded that during his first briefing to the newly elected political elite of the country, army chief Gen Ashfaq Kayani had made it clear that it was the government which had to take policy decisions and the army would follow the same. Therefore, whatever president Zardari has said reflects the government policy, which has the backing of the army leadership as well.
Even otherwise, he believes, there are several factors that mitigate an Indo-Pak nuclear war. “The decision-makers in India and Pakistan have generally remained quite rational and responsible during crises. All the previous wars between India and Pakistan have been essentially gentlemanly wars. Cities and other civilian targets were never attacked; prisoners-of-war were treated humanely and returned.”
Pakistan’s former army chief Gen Mirza Aslam Beg said the geographical proximity of the two countries and the inter-related nature of societies on either side in themselves constitute a deterrent. “A Pakistani nuclear attack on India may cause radioactive fallout in Pakistan, and vice versa. Even if Pakistan were to attack distant targets in India with intermediate-range ballistic missiles, it would inflict death and destruction on millions of Indian Muslims for whose protection Pakistan was created in 1947. Therefore, I believe Zardari is talking sense and Indian leadership should reciprocate to his statement,” he added.
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