Pakistan, India keen to restore complete diplomatic ties

ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan and India get set to inaugurate the Kartarpur Corridor, it appears the two countries are also simultaneously getting ready to ask their high commissioners to take charge too in Islamabad and New Delhi.

According to a report in foreign media, both the sides have been engaging in back-channel talks for some time to allow for full diplomatic ties to be restored. Pakistan had chosen to downgrade diplomatic ties with India after the government scrapped Article 370 on August 5.

It has been indicated that there is a realisation that one needs "diplomats to address the challenges in the relationship”, said the report.

On August 7, Pakistan summarily announced a series of measures in what it said was a response to India's decision to scrap provisions of Article 370. This included Pakistan asking India's High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria to leave Islamabad. They also announced that Pakistan High Commissioner-designate Moin Ul Haq too would not take charge in New Delhi.

It is also significant that despite the tension between the two sides that started in February after the Balakot incident, the work on Kartarpur Corridor continued seamlessly. Even after the friction post August 5, both sides didn't go back on the commitment to operationalise the corridor before the 550th birth anniversary of the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev.

While in Pakistan, the opposition’s stance is getting stronger as it is continuously criticising the government for weakening the Kashmir issue. The government initially announced to show solidarity with Kashmir onevery Friday but all have evaporated in thin air and Imran Khan’s government did nothing of Kashmir issue but to make speeches. The government has not only failed to get restored Kashmir’s special status but also is unable to get lifted the curfew imposed in the Indian Occupied Kashmir for the last three months. The PTI government could not succeed in its claim to isolate India in international community.

Apart from the Western world, the Muslim countries did also not support Pakistan on Kashmir issue openly, while United Arab Emirates and Bahrain decorated Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with their highest civilian awards. Before them Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Maldives and Afghanistan had already conferred their national civilian awards on Modi.

Imran Khan’s government, however, has claimed that they have presented Kashmir issue before the international community in the way no ruler ever did.