Author: Editorial
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: January 30, 2010
URL: http://www.dailypioneer.com/232573/What-peace-What-talks.html
Let Pakistan stop aiding terrorists first
The past week has witnessed needless debate
about the current freeze in India-Pakistan relations and the non-selection
of Pakistani cricketers for IPL 3. Pakistan has been constantly complaining
that the freeze in diplomatic relations is harming the prospects of regional
'peace'. Some within the Indian establishment too are beginning to question
the efficacy of not talking to Pakistan. But the question here is not whether
the diplomatic freeze is detrimental to regional peace but whether engaging
Pakistan through the composite dialogue process will achieve anything. Pakistani
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani is reported to have said that "one
incident" - the 26/11 fidayeen attack on Mumbai - should not be allowed
to hold talks between the two countries to ransom. But Mr Gilani forgets that
things have come to this pass not just because of what happened in Mumbai
when Ajmal Amir Kasab and his fellow Pakistani jihadis colleagues butchered
189 innocent civilians, but the numerous instances of Pakistan-sponsored mass
murder that amply prove Islamabad's refusal to give up terrorism as an instrument
of state policy. Even today Pakistan is dragging its feet over the prosecution
of those who planned 26/11. All that it has done, despite numerous dossiers
provided by India, is file a chargesheet against middle and lower-level Lashkar-e-Tayyeba
operatives while sparing the terrorist organisation's chief Hafiz Saeed. It
is clear that groups such as the LeT are too closely associated with the Islamabad
establishment to get rid of.
The Pakistani leadership, such as it is, makes
it sound that unless talks are resumed, war between the two countries is the
only option. This is plain bunkum. Talks have been put on hold because Islamabad
refuses to address the core issue of cross-border terrorism. Bilateral talks
cannot move forward unless there is progress on this front. Islamabad cannot
expect things to be normal while we continue to be at the receiving end of
the nefarious designs of Pakistan-based terrorist groups. Moreover, whom do
we talk to in Pakistan? The so-called civilian Government? The Army? The ISI?
Or the American Ambassador? Pakistan is facing a serious crisis with the Taliban
turning on their masters. Yet, Pakistan refuses to acknowledge the problem.
Under these circumstances, there is no logical reason for India to revive
dialogue with Pakistan. For the moment, Islamabad should worry about talks
at home, not 'peace' talks.
