Talks, terror and spies

There has scarcely been a worse time for the resumption of talks between Pakistan and India. We have finally, after years of allegations, gathered sufficient evidence of Indian interference in Balochistan, thanks to the capture of a senior RAW official in the province. India, meanwhile, continues to blame us for the attack in Pathankot, which may have originated from Pakistan but has no link to the state. Against this backdrop, the meeting of the two countries’ foreign secretaries in New Delhi – on the sidelines of the Heart of Asia conference on Afghanistan – promised little and delivered even less. The two sides couldn’t even agree on a joint statement and issued separate ones, with the Indian statement saying that the foreign secretaries agreed to stay in touch while mentioning Pakistan’s supposed tardiness in prosecuting those accused of carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attacks and the lack of consular access given to its arrested spy. Pakistan too brought up the spying in its statement and also mentioned Kashmir. Pakistan and India, it is clear, are at a stalemate. Whatever temporary hope there was when Nawaz Sharif attended the inauguration of Narendra Modi has now dissipated. Going forward, any progress that may be made will be slow and incremental.

What is positive is that a meeting in which Pathankot, RAW and Kashmir were mentioned did not end in a public spat between the two countries. Both foreign secretaries insisted that the two countries would continue to build on the goodwill of recent high-level contacts despite disagreements. Next up, the Indian foreign secretary is expected to visit Pakistan for working out a framework for the Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue. Relations between the two countries may be tense, but the indication is that we are willing to hear each other out. This is a spirit that needs to continue to be exhibited. But, of course, we must remember that it is important to move further, instead of just venting against each other. For now, the best we can hope for is to hold regular meetings and try not to let relations deteriorate even further. The status quo, tense as it is, is still preferable to the most likely alternative of a complete breakdown in ties.