There are people within the responsible departments who would blame India for everything to cover their weakness in stopping terrorist acts. Basically they think it is a safer and more acceptable option.
Now the rifles they (terrorists) were using in Karachi are being used around the world. The AK-47, G-3 and others are also used in Germany, so what do we do, blame Germany too for what happened in Karachi? And accuse all the countries of attacking peace in Pakistan?
I think it is a conspiracy against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s efforts to make peace with India and start a dialogue process that is beneficial to both the countries.
It is senseless to blame India for our own weaknesses. Prime Minister Sharif and PM Modi have started off well. They look keen to improve ties and we must expect them to settle the issues. I think the Director General Rangers gave an irresponsible statement blaming India for the Karachi attack. This way we are increasing tension rather than defusing it.
The rise of Taliban in Pakistan is an internal issue of Pakistan and we must be able to solve it. Even if you think other countries are supporting them, or some of their factions, we must be able to counter that.
We should know that there must be a government-to-government contact rather than government-to-militants contact. Once we understand this, things will be easier for us.
Every country likes to have good ties with other countries so what is wrong if India wants better relations with Afghanistan? This should not be a problem after the US withdrawal. We will get treatment according to our behaviour. There is no reason why Afghanistan can’t be a friend to both Pakistan and India.
If we both can reduce tension along the Line of Control (LoC) and try to hold talks on all issues with India, we will be in a better position to solve our internal problems including the Taliban.
The meeting between Prime Minister Sharif and PM Modi, exchange of gifts and letters, it all sounds good.
With new leaders in India and Afghanistan and a one-year-old PM in Pakistan, they have time to sit at the table and discuss their issues. Afghanistan will need Pakistan forever as it is a landlocked country. If we try to be friendly, why won’t Afghanistan be? India will try to capitalise on its traditional good ties with Afghanistan and they have a right to do so. We should not be afraid of good ties between Afghanistan and India, but should be worried about bettering ties with these neighbours.
I think PM Modi will try to maintain a peaceful posture towards Pakistan without showing any flexibility in resolving the issue of Kashmir, Siachen and even Sir Creek.
The composite dialogue may not be revived, but selectively, matters of trade and commerce could move forward. There are chances Pakistan may grant the over-delayed Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to gain goodwill and normalcy in relations.
Then there are demands by India for expediting conviction of perpetrators of the Mumbai incident, handing over of Dawood Ibrahim and reining in of the jihadi militants. They are likely to continue. Any recurrence of a Mumbai-type incident would be very risky. Pakistan will have to tighten control over jihadi groups so that they do not embark on adventurism and create serious problems for our state.
I hope the two prime ministers and the new Afghanistan President will be able to sort out issues. There would be no trouble after the US withdrawal, if we can sit together and build confidence. We must know US has to go some day and we have to live together. I think the leaders of the three countries know that and they would be willing to do what is in the best interest of billions of people.
