Commitment to dialogue

The upcoming Heart of Asia conference in Amritsar puts Pakistan in something of a bind. Ever since India’s renewed aggression in Kashmir and its decision to blame Pakistan for it, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pursued a policy to isolate us internationally. India pulled out of the Saarc conference in Islamabad and even got Afghanistan to boycott it so there is an obvious temptation to follow suit by not showing up in Amritsar next week. Instead, we have decided to take the higher road and even expressed a willingness to hold talks with India on the sidelines of the conference should it make the offer.   By sending foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz to Amritsar, Pakistan is making yet another effort to restart a dialogue despite Indian obstinacy. It would help if we had a permanent foreign minister so that we weren’t relying on ad-hoc officials but that still doesn’t excuse India’s intransigence. The international community should take note that there is only one country that is open to diplomacy right now, be it bilateral or multilateral. The ball is now in India’s court and with 40 nations expected to show up at the Heart of Asia conference, any response will show the entire region if the Modi government is prepared to deviate even slightly from its course of maximum confrontation.

We should not hold our breath for a positive reply. The centrepiece of the talks is expected to be regional connectivity and how Pakistan is supposedly a stumbling block to increased trade. India wants Pakistan to allow trucks carrying goods from Afghanistan through Pakistan to be allowed to enter India. But it does not plan on mentioning how the Afghan government has introduced a 50 percent increase in tax levied on cargo transporters from Pakistan crossing the Durand Line. Trade in the region is being affected by politics and the solution is not to blame anyone country but to discuss the underlying issue. India is not prepared to do that and prefers scapegoating Pakistan. The Indian media has even speculated that Amritsar was chosen as the venue of the Heart of Asia conference because of its proximity to the Wagah border so that India could use it to point out how Pakistan is stymieing trade.         Afghan will obviously back up its Indian ally. Sartaj Aziz plans on reaching Amritsar by crossing the Wagah border which should provide a potent counter-image of how peace can only be achieved if political leaders on both sides are willing to take the first step. Pakistan should use its presence in Amritsar to make a larger case for peace and how that is a necessary precondition for every country to enjoy the spoils of trade.         India should now follow Sartaj Aziz’s lead and demonstrate the same commitment to dialogue.