When Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari meets Prime Manmohan Singh for lunch on 8 April should they go beyond discussing how good the food is?
The BJP has already put pressure on Singh asking him to rake up the issue of Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafeez Saeed, in the wake of the US offering a bounty of $10 million for his capture, due to his involvement in the 2008 terror strikes in Mumbai. Others however, have argued it is a time to build bridges with a neighbour.
The Pakistani President is visiting a shrine in Ajmer before meeting the Prime Minister for lunch. AP
Since 2008 little apart from terrorism has dominated meetings between the leaders of the two countries. But Zardari‘s visit opens the doors for opportunities to engage in more than polite talk, and some have even argued that it is time for the Prime Minister to consider a Vajpayee-like trip to Pakistan to improve relations between the two countries.
Writing in the Hindu, former Pakistan Foreign Secretary Humayun Khan and former Indian foreign secretary Salman Haidar argue that it is time for the Prime Minister to make a visit to Pakistan in order to allay the fears of the Pakistani military and improve diplomatic talks.
What is needed now is direct engagement at the very top. Dr. Manmohan Singh must pay a return visit to Pakistan. It would be an occasion to announce agreement on some specific issues like Siachen and Sir Creek. More importantly, he could launch some major new initiatives, like reviving the offer of a No-War Pact and a Treaty of Peace and Friendship. Such formal agreements, duly supported by the international community, would effectively allay the fears of the Pakistan military.
The two former diplomats argue that while it is undeniable that India can survive with the current status of frozen diplomatic ties, the country would greatly benefit from improved relations with Pakistan.
The authors also argue that the two nations can also work on resolving their stand on the thorny issue of Kashmir. The two countries can work towards reaching a setttlement which can then be put to the Kashmiri people and help put an end to the violence that has plagued the state, they say.
“The Indian Prime Minister has maintained that detailed agreements between the two nations would need to be in place before he travelled to Pakistan but thanks to various political events hasn’t been able to”, C Raja Mohan writes in the Indian Express.
Even if only for a day, it makes for good diplomacy for the Prime Minister to travel to Pakistan, he adds.
Diplomatic talks would no doubt be aided by the fact that there is growing support for trade between the two nations. The Jammu and Kashmir assembly yesterday called for more trade across the Line of Control between India and Pakistan and increasing Confidence Building Measures between the two nations.
Pakistan has already said it is working on granting most favoured nation (MFN) status to India despite opposition at home from hardliners, and complete implementation of it by India can only work to improve ties between the two nations.
However, terrorism cannot be wiped off the agenda completely and while the specific topic of Saeed’s arrest or conviction needn’t be brought up, the Indian PM can seek further assurances that the Pakistani government will attempt to rein in organisations working against India.
The Indian government can also look to make further progress on discussions regaring Siachen glacier and Sir Creek.
The Indian PM and government has tried to play down the significance of the visit, constantly referring to it as a private visit and thereby allowing themselves the leeway of getting away without achieving anything concrete. Both Zardari and Singh will face elections within the next two years, Pakistan in 2013 and India in 2014, and face little pressure to achieve anything that could potentially jeopardise their political futures. But whether they can rise above petty politics and achieve something that will benefit both nations remains to be seen.
—Agencies