2012Round
The World
New Delhi, 18 December 2012
Rehman Malik’s Visit
CAN WE MOVE AHEAD?
By Monish Tourangbam
Associate Fellow,
Observer Research Foundation, New
Delhi
India-Pakistan ties has greatly influenced security
perceptions in South Asia wherein prospects for regional economic integration
hinge on relations between the neighbours and often determine the atmospherics
of SAARC summits with other member countries blaming India-Pakistan enmity for
scuttling growth in the region.
Moreover, as international forces prepare to drawdown in Afghanistan by 2014 end, New
Delhi and Islamabad’s approaches
towards Kabul would
be pivotal for the region’s security and beyond. So, where do India-Pakistan
relations stand presently?
Significantly, the differences are many-pronged, nevertheless
it is important to find areas where interests converge whereby the two
countries can work together. Hopes have
been raised recently, with both attempting to give economic momentum to ties,
even as differences persist on ‘core’ issues.
Recall, high level reciprocal visits culminated in the
signing of a liberal visa agreement and its operalisation during the just
concluded visit of Pakistan’s
Interior Minister Rehman Malik.
Indeed, the visa agreement is a welcome step towards easing
and enhancing people-to-people contact between the neighbours. It allows
multi-city visas up to five cities, visas for two years for senior citizens and
children below 12 years, visa on arrival for senior citizens, group tourist
visa, and exempts specified categories of businessmen from police reporting.
Asserted Malik: “When they (Indians) enter Pakistan, they
should feel they are coming to their own home. Similar should be the case when
people of Pakistan enter India. We are
all here to take the peace process forward.” But this is easier said than done
given the trust deficit between the two countries over security issues, especially
vis-a-vis counter-terrorism.
Undeniably, notwithstanding efforts to improve economic
cooperation, the course of ties has been determined by the Pakistan Government’s
cooperation; or rather the lack of it, towards prosecuting Pakistanis
responsible for the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
For New
Delhi, justice for the Mumbai attack victims is a
vital component of its responsibility to the people. True, Ajmal Kasab’s hanging
had symbolic significance, it did nothing to unravel the highly planned and
coordinated attacks on Mumbai and the brains behind it.
And, this is where Islamabad’s
sincerity towards counter-terrorism cooperation is being tested specially as prosecuting
anti-India mastermind Hafiz Saeed does not seem to be in Pakistan’s
scheme of things to do.
Plainly, despite many dossiers provided and repeated
requests by New Delhi to fast-tracking Saeed’s case,
Islamabad has
only responded by citing lack of evidence. The same was reiterated by the
Minister Malik who averred he would order Saeed’s arrest the moment he gets
credible evidence.
Predictably, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde
rejected Malik’s grandiose statement stating that such promises were made by Pakistan’s Government
in the past too, but never fulfilled.
According to Malik, evidences had to satisfy Pakistani Court,
which freed Saeed on three previous occasions citing lack of evidence. More. Negating
the legitimacy of New Delhi’s dossiers, he noted
that Islamabad
had received dossiers which contained only information and no evidence.
Also, Kasab’s statement regarding Saeed’s involvement
in the Mumbai attacks was not enough. “It needs further corroboration… I will
make public official documents from the Court’s judgement where Saeed has been
declared innocent,” Malik pointed out.
On a more positive note, India’s
National Investigation Agency (NIA) probing the
26/11 attack is likely to visit Pakistan
in mid-January while a Pakistani judicial panel could visit India soon.
The NIA wants to examine material evidence against key masterminds and accused
when in Pakistan.
Unlike the eight-member Pakistani Judicial Commission
which visited India in March last but did not cross-examine the 26/11 witnesses,
the Commission will now do so in its upcoming visit and present its findings to
the Pakistani Court.
Further, Malik underscored that the voice samples of
the 26/11 handlers giving directions during the Mumbai attacks have to be
matched with the ones on tape. Adding, according to Pakistan's law the voice samples
“cannot be given unless permission is given by the accused himself”.
In fact, he sought to negate negative publicity
emanating from his comparison of the 26/11 attacks with the Babrid Masjid’s
demolition, by denying having ever compared the two and instead offered investigation into the death of Kargil martyr
Captain Saurabh Kalia.
Pertinently, the ferocity of the Mumbai attacks coupled with
the sense of acute insecurity and anger inflicted among Indians has accentuated
the issue of tackling terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
True, Islamabad
too is facing the brunt of its home-grown terrorism but it is largely a result
of its myopic policies and the high-handed insularity of some of the State’s
machineries, namely the military and the intelligence.
Thus, when Islamabad talks to
New Delhi, it would not suffice to say that Pakistan is
also a victim of terrorism. This, by no way, negates the fact that innocent
Indian people, have long been, victims of terrorism bred in Pakistani soil.
Undoubtedly, Indians have suffered too many attacks, minor
and major, planned on Pakistani soil. Hence, no Government in New Delhi can afford to go easy on the terrorism
issue, especially in the 26/11 aftermath. At the same time New Delhi understands there is no gain in
cutting diplomatic channels as it did post the attacks.
Needless to say, we need economic engagement along-with
people-to-people contacts to enhance ties, but at the end the most effective
confidence building measure from Pakistan, will be to act sincerely
against anti-India groups nestled on its soil. Islamabad
must understand and acknowledge why the issue of Pakistan-based terrorism
acquires such primacy in New Delhi’s
policy-making.
In sum, even as Malik was rhetorically lavish, “I come with a message of love and
peace from the people of Pakistan.
I do not want any negativity today. What I want is a positive message and view
forward… Let’s forget the dark days, let’s enter with shining stars, with
smiling faces and clear hearts.”
Clearly, hopes of ‘Aman Ki Asha’ have often been followed by the dark
shadows of realities. And, in the near future, besides endeavours of economic
and people-to-people ties, the developments in the 26/11 case and India and Pakistan’s
security perceptions in Afghanistan
will shape the nature of the relationship. ---INFA
(Copyright, India
News and Feature Alliance)
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