‘Neither a hawk nor a dove’

ISLAMABAD: Former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri has urged Pakistan and India, two nuclear weapon powers, to show restraint since both are equally capable of destabilizing each other.
He makes the point in his forthcoming book ‘Neither a Hawk, nor a Dove’ to be published by the end of January. He writes in his book that the two countries have no option but to go for a just, negotiated, and a peaceful solution to Jammu and Kashmir and other contentious issues between them. He writes in the book that he knew on the basis of his experience that both the countries have major fault lines and that both are equally capable of destabilizing the other. This, he felt left them with no option but to act in a responsible manner since the fate of almost 1.5 billion people of the two countries depended on that.
Interestingly, the title of Kasuri’s book ‘Neither a Hawk, nor a Dove’ is based on his maiden meeting and first query that was made by former president Musharraf. In the first line in the book in which the former president Pervez Musharraf has been quoted in his very first meeting with the new Foreign Minister as asking him pointedly, “Are you a hawk or a dove on India, Kasuri Sahib?”. The book is being published worldwide by the Oxford University Press and by Penguin in India. The book contains the first ever insider’s account by someone who took part in the developments regarding the ‘backchannel negotiations on Kashmir’ and the peace process during 2002 to the end of 2007.
Mian Kasuri has updated the book to November 2014 including the advent of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the current policies of the new Indian government. He has analysed the situation regarding the latest developments in India, Afghanistan and on Pak-US relations based on his experience of dealing with these countries as Foreign Minister. The diplomats here and various capitals are taking keen interest in the effort of Pakistan’s versatile former foreign minister.
It may be pointed out that the ‘backchannel process’ during his tenure as Foreign Minister as well as the peace process is generally acknowledged as the most successful between the countries since independence. It helped a lot in providing a framework for a possible solution on Jammu and Kashmir as well as on other contentious issues. Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf and former Indian prime minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, are on record as having confirmed this. These efforts increased the quantum of trade and helped encourage people to people contact. They also helped to usher in a period of cease fire on the LOC in 2003 which lasted for almost 10 years, which is in great contrast to the current state of hostility.
Khurshid Kasuri will also give an account of his interactions with the leadership of the BJP since the peace process started under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Besides, he has also given details as well as the background of these landmark developments, beyond the so called ‘four point formula’ often referred to in the media.The former foreign minister has also devoted an entire chapter on the attitude of the Pakistan Army towards the peace process with India and on the Kashmir framework.