Indo-Pak diplomacy may revive with new army chief in Pakistan

NEW DELHI: With regime change happening in Pakistan's army headquarters, an opportunity may arise for a diplomatic initiative between India and Pakistan, according to the foreign media.

Sartaj Aziz, PM Nawaz Sharif's foreign policy adviser, will be in India next week, the first high-level visit from Pakistan in months. Since foreign minister Sushma Swaraj is indisposed, he is likely to meet only the two ministers of state, V K Singh and M J Akbar, and the foreign secretary.

While little more than a courtesy meeting between Aziz and PM Narendra Modi is envisaged, a meeting with NSA Ajit Doval could signal intent to break the ice. The fact that Pakistani firing on the LoC has come down over the past couple of days may be a signal as well, government sources said.

The change of guard in Rawalpindi saw the exit of one of Pakistan's most popular army chiefs, Gen Raheel Sharif. Among his last remarks reported by the media, Gen Sharif promised future generations of Indians would "remember" if he had conducted surgical strikes in India.

Nevertheless, an Indian assessment of Gen Sharif concluded that he would not seek to stay on after his term ended, describing him as honest and a patriot. Gen Sharif had taken a strongly anti-Indian line which, along with the internal anti-terror operations, built his profile within Pakistan.

Senior sources said they would wait to see the direction taken by new Pakistan army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa. There is, however, no expectation that Pakistan would effect any change in its India policy.

Bilateral conversation now is confined to high voltage statements between the two nations' armies. Despite the October “surgical” strikes, infiltration has allegedly continued into Jammu and Kashmir.

India holds the Pakistan army responsible for both infiltration and terror attacks, as was made clear by the DGMO conversation last week. This means, sources said, India is not likely to return to the old system of talks after a few months of chill and border firing, though some kind of engagement between the two sides may happen.