New initiative in India-Pakistan relations
Yuba Nath Lamsal
Any kind of developments in the bilateral relations between India and Pakistan draw global attention. This is because of the magnitude of impact India-Pakistan relations have in South Asia. The impact of the relationship between India and Pakistan is not limited to peace and stability not only in South Asia alone but goes beyond that and impacts on the entire world. Positive or negative, the developments in India-Pakistan bilateral relations send strong ripples globally. This is more so now than ever before because Asia has emerged as an international powerhouse with South Asia too emerging fast in the global arena economically.
Now China and India are fastest growing economies in the world. China is already world's second largest economy accompanied by military power and increased international clout. India, too, is growing despite its numerous internal problems and constraints. The growth in Asia is in sharp contrast to the economic situation in the western countries. The western economic powers are losing their earlier image and competitive strength. Japan has already been trailed behind China in terms of size of the economy. The United States is in deep financial crisis and this crisis is not likely to come to an end in near future. Europe is also suffering from recession and stagnation. On the contrary, the emerging Asian economies have succeeded in warding off impact of recession. China's impressive growth even during the global economic slump is its evidence.
The rise of China is unstoppable. Beijing's influence in the world is growing vigorously which is evident of China's likelihood of overtaking the rest of the world in all sectors in a couple of decades. China's unprecedented rise is being taken as a threat to the economic and strategic supremacy and interest of the western world in general and the United States in particular.
China's presence and influence in Asia is growing more strongly. This is because of China's soft power image and friendly diplomacy. The spirit of cooperation and friendliness with which China is pursuing its diplomacy has brought China and other South Asian countries closer, which is a main headache for the United States and India. The relations between China and Pakistan are closer than between any other two countries in Asia. Pakistan considers China as an all weather-friend whereas India thinks China is its rival. In fact, China is not India's rival. If China has rivalry and competition with any country in the world it is the United States. China wants cooperative relationship with India but not rivalry. Beijing seeks similar kind of reciprocity from India. But India has taken closer ties between China and Pakistan as an alliance against New Delhi, which is a wrong perception. With the flawed notion of treating China as a rival power, the United States and India have entered into strategic partnership, which is mainly aimed at encircling China. At a time, when the United States is fighting a war in Afghanistan, the new strategy to strengthen India and weaken Pakistan will ultimately prove to be a dangerous move for South Asian security and peace. It is becoming clearer that the war on terror in Afghanistan would be costly for the United States without support of Pakistan. But the growing hobnobbing between the Unites States and India is likely to alienate Pakistan which would be counterproductive for the United States in the long-run. India and the United States have common interest when it comes to China. But their priorities are different. United States priority is to weaken and encircle China. But India regards China too powerful to provoke. New Delhi in fact does not want confrontation with China at present. Its priority is to contain and weaken Pakistan. India has designated Pakistan as its number one security threat. Its key purpose of entering into the strategic alliance with the United States is to prevent Washington from providing more military and other support to Pakistan. New Delhi's conclusion is that once the United States stops military assistance, Pakistani army will cripple and it would be in no position of challenging Indian hegemony in South Asia.
India may have been successful in creating gulf between the United States and Pakistan as there are serious differences between Islamabad and Washington specially after the United States started war on terror in Afghanistan. The Pak-US relations turned further sour after the US troops secretly and unilaterally conducted a raid and killed Osma Bin Laden in Pakistan. While these developments have encouraged and pleased India, they, on the other, brought China and Pakistan closer. Since the United States is keeping itself away from Pakistan and trying to hobnob more with India, Pakistan has been left with no option other than further consolidating strategic partnership with Beijing. Despite Pakistan's contribution not only in helping the United States to drive away Soviet Union from Afghanistan but also winning the Cold War, Washington has slowly alienating Pakistan and hugging with India, which was in the enemy camp in the Cold War. This tells the opportunistic policy and approach of the United States guided by its own interest rather than the long-term partnership with allies and friends in need. This is perhaps the reason why Pakistan calls the United States as a fair weather friend and China as all-weather friend.
Given the strategic significance, a huge population and other resources, South Asia is increasingly on the global spotlight. South Asia is a home to one fifth of the world's population and is a big market for western and other developed countries' products. The developments in South Asia thus attract global attention. Against this background the recent visit of Pakistan's foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and her meeting with Indian counterpart SM Krishna is viewed with special significance and interest by the world.
This is a new initiative taken by both India and Pakistan to ease tension, build confidence and improve bilateral relations, which has raised faint hopes for peaceful and tension free South Asia. Circumstances suggest that the hawks in both the countries are the ones who spoilt the environment for peace and cooperation in South Asia. War bleeds the country but benefits the military. The country prospers only in peace time. Military and political hawks especially in India have spoilt the environment of dialogue and peace between New Delhi and Islamabad. Even now, hawks in the army, bureaucracy and political circle may try to derail the new confidence building measures initiated by Pakistan. Despite unwillingness of the military and political hawks, Pakistani foreign minister has started the initiative for confidence building between the India and Pakistan. This is praiseworthy move. India, too, has responded positively. These moves are conditioned by compulsions because there is no option with both the countries other than engaging in dialogue for settling their issues and improving their relations in the present regional and international situation.
India knows that Pakistan can neither be tamed nor weakened by means of military threat. It is true that India has greater military power than Pakistan in terms of number of soldiers and weaponries. However, Pakistan, too, has adequate strength for deterrence. More than that Pakistan is a nation built on strong sentiment and feelings of Islamic nationalism. India is well aware that Pakistan cannot be defeated by means of force. Similarly Pakistan, too, may not want perpetual rivalry with India.
Realizing the value of peace and friendship, India and Pakistan have started a fresh initiative to turn rivalry into partnership and cooperation. The visit of Pakistani foreign minister heralds this new initiative which must be utilized by both the countries for permanent friendship and goodwill. The world has watched the newer developments between India and Pakistan more keenly and with greater optimism. The United States has reacted with positive note saying that Washington was 'encouraged' by the talks between India and Pakistan. Other countries in the region, although they have not expressed their views in public, are much optimistic on these developments that have seen thaw in the tension between India and Pakistan.
The sense of optimism that has been created by the visit of Pakistani foreign minister to India needs to be translated into reality. There had also been efforts in the past to ease tensions and develop friendly relations between these two South Asian neighbors. But hawkish policy of Indian establishment especially in the army and bureaucracy derailed the peace initiative. When something goes wrong in India, the Indian establishment would point finger to Pakistan in order to divert public attention. As a result, they suddenly hijacked the peace process initiated between the two countries. Given this past tract record, people are not much enthusiastic about the new initiative that Pakistan has started. Now both the countries seem to be happy with the new initiative and have expressed their commitment to give continuity to this initiative for durable peace in South Asia. However, the words alone do not serve the real purpose. The commitments need to be translated into action. Only time would show how sincere these countries are for peace and stability in the region. South Asia now desperately needs peace for which confidence building between India and Pakistan is a must. It would bode well if these two countries act swiftly in bury their ugly past of rivalry and confrontation and build goodwill and friendly relations in the larger interest of more than one fifth of the humanity.
Any kind of developments in the bilateral relations between India and Pakistan draw global attention. This is because of the magnitude of impact India-Pakistan relations have in South Asia. The impact of the relationship between India and Pakistan is not limited to peace and stability not only in South Asia alone but goes beyond that and impacts on the entire world. Positive or negative, the developments in India-Pakistan bilateral relations send strong ripples globally. This is more so now than ever before because Asia has emerged as an international powerhouse with South Asia too emerging fast in the global arena economically.
Now China and India are fastest growing economies in the world. China is already world's second largest economy accompanied by military power and increased international clout. India, too, is growing despite its numerous internal problems and constraints. The growth in Asia is in sharp contrast to the economic situation in the western countries. The western economic powers are losing their earlier image and competitive strength. Japan has already been trailed behind China in terms of size of the economy. The United States is in deep financial crisis and this crisis is not likely to come to an end in near future. Europe is also suffering from recession and stagnation. On the contrary, the emerging Asian economies have succeeded in warding off impact of recession. China's impressive growth even during the global economic slump is its evidence.
The rise of China is unstoppable. Beijing's influence in the world is growing vigorously which is evident of China's likelihood of overtaking the rest of the world in all sectors in a couple of decades. China's unprecedented rise is being taken as a threat to the economic and strategic supremacy and interest of the western world in general and the United States in particular.
China's presence and influence in Asia is growing more strongly. This is because of China's soft power image and friendly diplomacy. The spirit of cooperation and friendliness with which China is pursuing its diplomacy has brought China and other South Asian countries closer, which is a main headache for the United States and India. The relations between China and Pakistan are closer than between any other two countries in Asia. Pakistan considers China as an all weather-friend whereas India thinks China is its rival. In fact, China is not India's rival. If China has rivalry and competition with any country in the world it is the United States. China wants cooperative relationship with India but not rivalry. Beijing seeks similar kind of reciprocity from India. But India has taken closer ties between China and Pakistan as an alliance against New Delhi, which is a wrong perception. With the flawed notion of treating China as a rival power, the United States and India have entered into strategic partnership, which is mainly aimed at encircling China. At a time, when the United States is fighting a war in Afghanistan, the new strategy to strengthen India and weaken Pakistan will ultimately prove to be a dangerous move for South Asian security and peace. It is becoming clearer that the war on terror in Afghanistan would be costly for the United States without support of Pakistan. But the growing hobnobbing between the Unites States and India is likely to alienate Pakistan which would be counterproductive for the United States in the long-run. India and the United States have common interest when it comes to China. But their priorities are different. United States priority is to weaken and encircle China. But India regards China too powerful to provoke. New Delhi in fact does not want confrontation with China at present. Its priority is to contain and weaken Pakistan. India has designated Pakistan as its number one security threat. Its key purpose of entering into the strategic alliance with the United States is to prevent Washington from providing more military and other support to Pakistan. New Delhi's conclusion is that once the United States stops military assistance, Pakistani army will cripple and it would be in no position of challenging Indian hegemony in South Asia.
India may have been successful in creating gulf between the United States and Pakistan as there are serious differences between Islamabad and Washington specially after the United States started war on terror in Afghanistan. The Pak-US relations turned further sour after the US troops secretly and unilaterally conducted a raid and killed Osma Bin Laden in Pakistan. While these developments have encouraged and pleased India, they, on the other, brought China and Pakistan closer. Since the United States is keeping itself away from Pakistan and trying to hobnob more with India, Pakistan has been left with no option other than further consolidating strategic partnership with Beijing. Despite Pakistan's contribution not only in helping the United States to drive away Soviet Union from Afghanistan but also winning the Cold War, Washington has slowly alienating Pakistan and hugging with India, which was in the enemy camp in the Cold War. This tells the opportunistic policy and approach of the United States guided by its own interest rather than the long-term partnership with allies and friends in need. This is perhaps the reason why Pakistan calls the United States as a fair weather friend and China as all-weather friend.
Given the strategic significance, a huge population and other resources, South Asia is increasingly on the global spotlight. South Asia is a home to one fifth of the world's population and is a big market for western and other developed countries' products. The developments in South Asia thus attract global attention. Against this background the recent visit of Pakistan's foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and her meeting with Indian counterpart SM Krishna is viewed with special significance and interest by the world.
This is a new initiative taken by both India and Pakistan to ease tension, build confidence and improve bilateral relations, which has raised faint hopes for peaceful and tension free South Asia. Circumstances suggest that the hawks in both the countries are the ones who spoilt the environment for peace and cooperation in South Asia. War bleeds the country but benefits the military. The country prospers only in peace time. Military and political hawks especially in India have spoilt the environment of dialogue and peace between New Delhi and Islamabad. Even now, hawks in the army, bureaucracy and political circle may try to derail the new confidence building measures initiated by Pakistan. Despite unwillingness of the military and political hawks, Pakistani foreign minister has started the initiative for confidence building between the India and Pakistan. This is praiseworthy move. India, too, has responded positively. These moves are conditioned by compulsions because there is no option with both the countries other than engaging in dialogue for settling their issues and improving their relations in the present regional and international situation.
India knows that Pakistan can neither be tamed nor weakened by means of military threat. It is true that India has greater military power than Pakistan in terms of number of soldiers and weaponries. However, Pakistan, too, has adequate strength for deterrence. More than that Pakistan is a nation built on strong sentiment and feelings of Islamic nationalism. India is well aware that Pakistan cannot be defeated by means of force. Similarly Pakistan, too, may not want perpetual rivalry with India.
Realizing the value of peace and friendship, India and Pakistan have started a fresh initiative to turn rivalry into partnership and cooperation. The visit of Pakistani foreign minister heralds this new initiative which must be utilized by both the countries for permanent friendship and goodwill. The world has watched the newer developments between India and Pakistan more keenly and with greater optimism. The United States has reacted with positive note saying that Washington was 'encouraged' by the talks between India and Pakistan. Other countries in the region, although they have not expressed their views in public, are much optimistic on these developments that have seen thaw in the tension between India and Pakistan.
The sense of optimism that has been created by the visit of Pakistani foreign minister to India needs to be translated into reality. There had also been efforts in the past to ease tensions and develop friendly relations between these two South Asian neighbors. But hawkish policy of Indian establishment especially in the army and bureaucracy derailed the peace initiative. When something goes wrong in India, the Indian establishment would point finger to Pakistan in order to divert public attention. As a result, they suddenly hijacked the peace process initiated between the two countries. Given this past tract record, people are not much enthusiastic about the new initiative that Pakistan has started. Now both the countries seem to be happy with the new initiative and have expressed their commitment to give continuity to this initiative for durable peace in South Asia. However, the words alone do not serve the real purpose. The commitments need to be translated into action. Only time would show how sincere these countries are for peace and stability in the region. South Asia now desperately needs peace for which confidence building between India and Pakistan is a must. It would bode well if these two countries act swiftly in bury their ugly past of rivalry and confrontation and build goodwill and friendly relations in the larger interest of more than one fifth of the humanity.
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