Step towards peace

New Delhi and Islamabad’s attempts to normalise relations which fell to a low after the November 2008 siege of Mumbai have for years hobbled along. At such times all demonstrations of movement forward are welcome, and the visit by Indian Foreign Secretary Subramaniam Jaishankar, for talks with his Pakistani counterpart Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, constituted such a step. New Delhi had, for reasons that remain a little hazy, attempted to play down the meeting as part of a routine tour of Saarc nations, rather than a bilateral exchange. During discussions in Islamabad on Tuesday a wide range of issues was brought up. The meeting marked the first point of contact at foreign secretary level since 2012, and this fact alone makes it significant. The tone struck as Jaishankar met Chaudhry and then also the prime minister among other top officials suggests a willingness to progress towards more harmonious relations. The Indian official mentioned further dialogue at his media talk. Though predications cannot be made on the basis of a single visit, things between the two countries are looking a little less grim than before.
This is important given the heightened hostility we have been seeing from across the border since the Modi government assumed power in June last year. Cross-border skirmishes at the Line of Control have been the most open demonstration of this, with at least 20 killed since May 2014 in incidents of shelling. Some of the worst incidents took place in October last year. The problem was discussed during the talks, with Chaudhry stating that it had been agreed that reviving existing mechanisms marked the best means of addressing tensions. These means include talks between officers in commanding posts along the boundary. Pakistan also made a complaint to India about intervention in Balochistan and other parts of the country. Long-standing issues, which include Kashmir, Sir Creek and water disputes, also came up – as did terrorism. As far as the region goes, the meeting was important since it came at a time when Pakistan is set to take over as chair of Saarc. It was announced as the meeting concluded that Islamabad would host the 10th Saarc Summit. Its role as the head of the regional forum offers Pakistan an opportunity to help convert it into a stronger body, with better balance between all its members, so that it can build on the potential inherent within it and work towards a more peaceful and stable region. Better ties between India and Pakistan are crucial to this. The meeting in Islamabad helped create the platform for further discussion and a resumption of the interrupted talks process between Islamabad and New Delhi.