John Kerry's stern message to Pakistan signals new bonhomie in Indo-US relationship

John Kerry in his last visit to India as Secretary of State covered uncharted terrain, something no visiting US diplomat has done before. No, we are not talking about his discovery of Delhi traffic (not that it wasn’t epic) but his not-so-subtle takedown of Pakistan.  Kerry was virtually humming the same tune as Sushma Swaraj, as he criticised terror emanating from Pakistan. In his terse message, Kerry said that he has conveyed to Pak PM Nawaz Sharif his thoughts about cleaning up Pak’s internal mess. 

News agency PTI reported, Terrorism, more specifically that emanating from Pakistan, figured prominently in marathon talks between Kerry and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who briefed him extensively on the "continuing problem of cross-border terrorism that India and the larger region face from Pakistan". At a joint press conference with Kerry after the 2nd Indo- US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue (S&CD), Swaraj said, "We reaffirmed the urgent necessity for Pakistan to dismantle safe havens for terrorists and criminal networks including Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and D Company.
 

Kerry also said, "I have recently spoke to the Prime Minister and General Raheel Sharif regarding the need for Pakistan to deprive any group sanctuaries... "It is well known that the Haqqani network and others operated out of the western part of the country. LeT, we all know and we all spoken out against had an impact on India, directly.

Incidentally on Thursday, the Pakistan army said that the country is free of ‘organised presence’ of terrorists. 

India and US also agreed to restart dialogue with Afghanistan, something which is unlikely to go down well with the Pak establishment.  Kerry’s words which he subsequently repeated next day at IIT-Delhi will be extremely well-received on the North Block. What US effectively communicated is something India has been telling for a long time and is really the heart of Modi’s Pak policy. While Pak has always tried to raise the Kashmir bogey to embarrass India, PM Modi emboldened by the massive mandate he enjoys has indicated he will not play by the rules and if necessary issues like Balochistan and Gilgit will be elevated to the world stage.

 Foreign Secretary Jaishankar in his letter to his counterpart also said that India is mainly interested in discussing about terror originating from Pakistan. 

For US, India and Pakistan was always hyphenated in the past with tepid standard answers like both countries should mutually talk and sort out their issues. But Kerry’s powerful assertion suggests Washington may have come to terms actual nature and extent of terror-support and radicalisation prevalent in India’s neighbourhood. It is essentially a repetition of what Hillary Clinton said about Pakistan, “You can't keep snakes in your backyard and expect them to only bite your neighbour”. 

But the significance of saying it in New Delhi can’t be missed. Perhaps the new geo-political realities in a post-ISIS world has evoked such strong condemnation in public but it basically ratifies India’s long standing grouse that Pakistan has been selective in curbing home grown terror. While in Western border, it has been proactive in curtailing the Taliban but in Eastern border, militants of Lashkar and Jaish with direct and indirect support from ISI has been fomenting terror directed at India.

 The likes of Hafiz Saeed, can freely preach and spread hate. If Pakistan was truly serious, it would have put the main planner of 26/11 behind bars. Hence Pakistan's policy towards controlling terrorism has always been a cloak-and-dagger game.  That this sort of delicate balancing act will not be tolerated was clear from Kerry’s presser. 

The US Secretary of State tried to soften the blow at IIT-D saying Pakistan was also suffering from terrorism and any kind of curtailing activity has received intense blowback. But Kerry’s blunt talks comes just a day after both the countries signed a historic defence logistics agreement LEMOA.

 It will help both countries to re-fuel and share resources on mutually convenient basis. India has been accorded the status of close defence partner by US. In the light of China’s clout and growing assertiveness in South-China sea, the agreement gains significance. The hostile reaction from Chinese official press also indicated that they are taking the pact seriously. 

In the recent past, US has significantly cut aid to Pakistan. It is down to US$1 billion in 2016 from peak of US $3.5 billion in 2011. Pakistan has been denied subsidy in purchase of buying F-16 fighter jets. Increasingly Pakistan is seen cosying up to China. The announcement that they're buying 8 submarine from China (their largest arms export) is another indication of this. On the other hand, India and US are slowly strengthening their relationship - a far departure from the hostility of the Cold War era where nonaligned India was perceived to be close to the Soviet Block.

 It is unlikely that USA will suddenly abandon its long –standing ally Pakistan as it has several strategic interests and unfinished businesses there. But the day of hyphenation of India-Pakistan may well be over and New Delhi’s point of views will get due recognition in the power chambers of Washington. And that is the real reason behind John Kerry’s pot-shot at Pakistan on Indian soil.