Indo-Pak talks: A need or compulsion!

Both the countries are expected to face opposition in their countries. BJP in India and the right wing parties in Pakistan have to accept the need to change their old stance.

The main accused in the 2007 Samjhauta Express blast case, Swami Aseemanand, has confessed the working of terror network ‘Abinav Baharat.’ It has compelled India to invite Pakistan and resume dialogue on all outstanding issues. There are also reports that the US forced India to initiate dialogue with Pakistan on all issues. To begin with Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao met her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir in Thimphu, Bhutan, to show her country’s willingness to hold talks with Pakistan.

At last on February 10 Islamabad and New Delhi simultaneously issued a statement titled ‘Agreed outcome of India-Pakistan Foreign Secretary level talks in Thimphu, February 6, 2011. The two sides unveiled a three-tiered roadmap for talks that will lead to foreign ministers meeting in New Delhi in July. To accommodate Indian old rhetoric not to resume composite dialogue, this time the term ‘Composite Dialogue’ has not been used. However, almost all the issues of the composite dialogue, which began in 2004 and continued till the Mumbai attacks in 2008, are included in the agenda.
Now with the confession of Swami Assemanand, the real face of Hindu terrorism has been exposed. The RSS terrorists carried out a number of terror activities against minorities which includes bomb blast at Malegaon in 2006, Samjhauta Express in 2007, Ajmer Sharif in 2007 and Mecca Masjid, Hyderabad, in 2007. These events have supported Pakistan’s stance that Hindu extremists carry out terrorist acts for which Pakistan and ISI are blamed. On the other hand, militancy in Pakistan is on the retreat and the international community has acknowledged this fact.

For the de-escalation of Indo-Pak tension, backdoor channels can be used to prevent escalation of tension. This has been seen on many occasions that when governments of Pakistan and India wish to avoid publicity through media, they utilise informal channels, using trusted and reliable individuals and institutions for planning out their negotiating strategies.

Now with the fresh start it is hoped that the talks will give Pakistan and India a better chance of peace. Pakistan should not allow India exploit the situation in its favour and run away from the real issues. This is on record that whenever there is some progress and both countries try to reach at the final stage of any issue, the extremist elements in India stage a new drama in order to spoil the peace efforts. The blast at Samjhota Express is a best example in this regard. Swami Assemanand confession has exposed the religious terror network which is spreading now. Both the countries are expected to face opposition in their countries. BJP in India and the right wing parties in Pakistan have to accept the need to change their old stance. Otherwise all efforts for peace will go waste.