• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Our Authors
  • Contact Us

The Punjab Pulse

Centre for Socio-Cultural Studies

  • Areas of Study
    • Social & Cultural Studies
    • Religious Studies
    • Governance & Politics
    • National Perspectives
    • International Perspectives
    • Communism
  • Activities
    • Conferences & Seminars
    • Discussions
  • News
  • Resources
    • Books & Publications
    • Book Reviews
  • Icons of Punjab
  • Videos
  • Academics
  • Agriculture
You are here: Home / Areas of Study / Governance & Politics / In resolving issues with India Pakistan needs to think out of the box

In resolving issues with India Pakistan needs to think out of the box

April 6, 2021 By Jaibans Singh

Share

Jaibans Singh

In a panel discussion recorded a few days earlier by Brighter Kashmir (a Kashmir based daily newspaper), this columnist while speaking about the recent initiative on “resolution of issues” between India and Pakistan had observed that there have been many earlier occasions when tall leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Dr. Manmoham Singh, LK Advani and others have taken courageous steps to usher a viable peace between the two countries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi too put his political career at stake while trying to reach out to Pakistan. On many occasions the initiatives found favour with Pakistani leaders too. Sadly, the momentum could not be maintained and there was no progress registered; in fact, the periods of talks were followed by long hauls of open hostility, conflict, terrorism, and  engineered violence by Pakistan.

This columnist exhibited positivity at the prospect of talks resuming but was also sceptical about their outcome, he further expressed a worry that the same might ultimately lead to further deterioration in the relations between the two countries and the attendant resort to violence by Pakistan.

Within a few hours of the interview being recorded there was news that Pakistan had taken a sudden U-turn on resuming limited trade with India by allowing imports of Sugar and Cotton. It is relevant to note here that the textile sector in Pakistan has been out of work ever since import of cotton from India has been stalled. This has led to great suffering to the people given the already debilitating condition of the Pakistan economy.

The U-turn was orchestrated by two federal ministers during a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan. They linked the normalisation of bilateral ties to the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, something that Khan has been harping on ever since this resolution process has gained momentum.

The tenuous status of the talks has become quite apparent from the manner in which Pakistan has played out the negotiation process. It stands nullified even before it could start off due to the caveat of “resolving Kashmir by maintaining status quo ante on the situation obtainable before August 2019 through reinstatement of Article 370 and Article 35A.” Obviously this cannot happen and hence, there is a slim chance of the talks proceeding further. What is left now is waiting for the second prediction of this columnist of enhanced violence levels becoming a reality.

It is being widely perceived that the aforementioned drama played out in the cabinet meeting in Pakistan was at the behest of Imran Khan and Pakistan Army Chief, General Qamar Bajwa. It was nothing more than a crude way to pressurise India.  It is, however, also possible that the two ministers were speaking at the behest of the powerful militant and war-lord lobby in the country led by the likes of Hafiz Saeed and Maulana Masood Azar, thus adding another diabolic dimension to the talks process and making them all the more untenable.

Fundamentalist militant warlords of Pakistan will not allow rapprochement with India 

On seeing the manner in which Pakistan is approaching the talks many experts are of the opinion that the country is not serious at all. It is simply buying time to strengthen its relations with the new government in the US, with some Middle East countries and with FATF.

For India , the only option available is to keep an open mind about the talks but remain firm on her own perception of the normalisation process. If Pakistan looks at “Kashmir” as the focal point then India too would like the talks to progress on the matter of Pakistan giving back the “occupied territories” of the state to include Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) and Gilgit-Baltistan. Also, while Pakistan looks at Kashmir as the core issue, for India the same is the, “export of terrorism from Pakistan to the Indian soil and the rest of the world.”

It is notable here that while there is a ceasefire along the Line of Control (LOC) Pakistan has been busy in exploiting the farm agitation in India by giving support to international Khalistani elements. The signature of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) in the divisive and disruptive activities attempted in Punjab is very much visible. The attempts to smuggle drugs into Punjab and weapons through Drones has also witnessed a marked increase in recent times. It is quite necessary to seek an explanation for these acts being perpetrated by the neighbouring country.

It is important for the intellectual community worldwide, the strategists and the analysts, to confirm whether the road blocks being put by the Pakistani leadership on to the process of normalisation of relations with India are in tune with the aspirations of the people of the country or quite divergent from the same. Would not the people of Pakistan be more interested in resumption of trade that would ameliorate their terrible financial condition or would they wish to remain adamant is pursuing the Kashmir issue? There is a need to deeply study the false “hate India” narrative that is being spread by the Pakistani leadership rather successfully as it is misleading the people of Pakistan.

Pakistan is playing to the gallery with maverick activities like resuming trade one day and rescinding the decision the next; some pin-minded leaders there think that such stupidities will generate pressure upon India. Nothing can be further from reality. Trade between the two countries will vastly benefit Pakistan, for India it is only nice, not necessary. So far and Pakistan is concerned this is a true example of “cutting your nose to spite your face.”

Pakistan cannot live in denial mode any more, it simply has to look at long term prospects of resolving its deep economic and social problems rather than carrying on with the debilitating conflict with India. General Qamar Bajwa has spoken strongly about “burying the past.” Burying the past is possible only by thinking out of the box. Is the Pakistani leadership capable of such a statesmanlike approach?

(Jaibans Singh is a geo-strategic analyst, columnist and commentator)


Share
test

Filed Under: Governance & Politics, Social & Cultural Studies Tagged With: CPEC, FATF, General Qamar Bajwa, Hafiz Saeed

Primary Sidebar

News

ਪੰਜਾਬ ਚ ਵੱਖ-ਵੱਖ ਜਗਾਵਾਂ ਤੇ ਵਿਸ਼ਵ ਵਾਤਾਵਰਨ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨਾਇਆ

June 6, 2023 By News Bureau

Punjab News: हड़ताल के चलते अस्पताल में मरीज बेहाल

June 6, 2023 By News Bureau

चंडीगढ़ PGI का NIRF रैकिंग में दूसरा स्थान

June 6, 2023 By News Bureau

पंजाब के कई स्कूलों में 150 बच्चे 1 टीचर के सहारे

June 6, 2023 By News Bureau

20वीं एशियान अंडर-20 एथलेटिक्स चैंपियनशिप

June 6, 2023 By News Bureau

Areas of Study

  • Governance & Politics
  • International Perspectives
  • National Perspectives
  • Social & Cultural Studies
  • Religious Studies

Featured Article

The Akal Takht Jathedar: Despite indefinite term why none has lasted beyond a few years?

May 15, 2023 By Guest Author

Kamaldeep Singh Brar The Akal Takth There’s no fixed term for the Jathedar (custodian) of the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat in Sikhism. That means an Akal Takht Jathedar can continue to occupy the seat all his life. Yet, no Akal Takht Jathedar in recent memory has lasted the crown of thorns for more […]

Academics

‘सिंघसूरमा लेखमाला’ धर्मरक्षक वीरव्रति खालसा पंथ – भाग-10 – भाग-11

सिंघसूरमा लेखमाला धर्मरक्षक वीरव्रति खालसा पंथ – भाग-10 विजयी सैन्य शक्ति के प्रतीक ‘पांच प्यारे’ और पांच ‘ककार’ नरेंद्र सहगल श्रीगुरु गोविंदसिंह द्वारा स्थापित ‘खालसा पंथ’ किसी एक प्रांत, जाति या भाषा का दल अथवा पंथ नहीं था। यह तो संपूर्ण भारत एवं भारतीयता के सुरक्षा कवच के रूप में तैयार की गई खालसा फौज […]

‘सिंघसूरमा लेखमाला’ धर्मरक्षक वीरव्रति खालसा पंथ – भाग-8 – भाग-9

सिंघसूरमा लेखमाला धर्मरक्षक वीरव्रति खालसा पंथ – भाग-8 अमृत शक्ति-पुत्रों का वीरव्रति सैन्य संगठन नरेंद्र सहगल संपूर्ण भारत को ‘दारुल इस्लाम’ इस्लामिक मुल्क बनाने के उद्देश्य से मुगल शासकों द्वारा किए गए और किए जा रहे घोर अत्याचारों को देखकर दशम् गुरु श्रीगुरु गोविंदसिंह ने सोए हुए हिंदू समाज में क्षात्रधर्म का जाग्रण करके एक […]

‘सिंघसूरमा लेखमाला’ धर्मरक्षक वीरव्रति खालसा पंथ – भाग-6 – भाग-7

सिंघसूरमा लेखमाला धर्मरक्षक वीरव्रति खालसा पंथ – भाग-6 श्रीगुरु गोबिन्दसिंह का जीवनोद्देश्य धर्म की स्थापना, अधर्म का नाश नरेंद्र सहगल ‘हिन्द दी चादर’ अर्थात भारतवर्ष का सुरक्षा कवच सिख साम्प्रदाय के नवम् गुरु श्रीगुरु तेगबहादुर ने हिन्दुत्व अर्थात भारतीय जीवन पद्यति, सांस्कृतिक धरोहर एवं स्वधर्म की रक्षा के लिए अपना बलिदान देकर मुगलिया दहशतगर्दी को […]

Twitter Feed

ThePunjabPulse Follow

@ ·
now

Reply on Twitter Retweet on Twitter Like on Twitter Twitter
Load More

EMAIL NEWSLETTER

Signup to receive regular updates and to hear what's going on with us.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Phone
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

TAGS

Academics Activities Agriculture Areas of Study Books & Publications Communism Conferences & Seminars Discussions Governance & Politics Icons of Punjab International Perspectives National Perspectives News Religious Studies Resources Social & Cultural Studies Stories & Articles Uncategorized Videos

Footer

About Us

The Punjab Pulse is an independent, non-partisan think tank engaged in research and in-depth study of all aspects the impact the state of Punjab and Punjabis at large. It strives to provide a platform for a wide ranging dialogue that promotes the interest of the state and its peoples.

Read more

Follow Us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Phone
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2023 · The Punjab Pulse

Developed by Web Apps Interactive