archive: Back to pavilion?
Back to pavilion?
Editorial
The Pioneer
June 30, 1999
Title: Back to pavilion?
Author: Editorial
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: June 30, 1999
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who predictably rushed to
Beijing once the diplomatic heat on his country was turned up in the
wake of the Pakistani intrusion into Kargil, cut short his five-day
visit on Monday to return home. The visit, which included only one
official working day and four days when he was to be on his own,
presumably as a tourist, had to be aborted due to "the situation back
home", as a Pakistani Foreign Office spokesman put it. China is a
long-standing ally of Pakistan and it was not surprising that given
Islamabad's total international isolation its top policy makers would
make a beeline to Beijing for moral and other support. Earlier too, Mr
Sharif's foreign minister, Mr Sartaj Aziz, had made a quick dash to
China on the eve of Indian External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh's
visit. Mr Sharif, seeking support from his country's best friend in
the region, would not have been unaware that, China's stand has so far
been neutral, much to Pakistan's chagrin and India's satisfaction.
However, his hopes must have been dashed; on Monday Chinese Premier
Zhu Rongji reiterated his country's position that both India and
Pakistan must resume talks to end the fighting. The issue had been
left over from history and could only be resolved through peaceful
negotiations, the Chinese Premier has been quoted as saying. This is
in keeping with China's own pragmatic handling of its border dispute
with India in which it has agreed to shelve contentious issues and
move forward on the commonalties, something that Pakistan has found
itself incapable of doing with India. That Pakistan's strongest friend
and ally has tried to get Pakistan see reason and not indulge in such
foolhardy adventurism as in Kargil must have deeply disappointed Mr
Sharif and contributed to his decision to head homewards empty handed.
Nevertheless, domestic worries may also have preyed on the Pakistani
Prime Minister's mind while in China. His tenuous position
internationally could not have been without an impact on his domestic
standing and an increasingly restive army, already unhappy with his
peace initiatives with India as well as his recent attempts to curb
the power of various sections like the judiciary and the media, could
be tempted to meddle in civil administration. With the Foreign
Minister already away to Africa to woo the Organisation of Islamic
Countries, there was a vacuum at the upper echelons in Pakistan's
power structure. Given the history of coups in his country, Mr Sharif
could not be blind to the implications of this situation in the
current crisis. Given that Pakistan's democracy is at the best of
times extremely fragile and the Army would be unwilling to own up its
military and diplomatic defeat, there is no saying what could happen
in his absence. Whatever may be the case, India needs to be alert.
Fearing the worst and wanting to keep the Army in good humour, Mr
Sharif may well become more belligerent in Kargil and elsewhere.
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