On Imran Khan’s victory, I sent a copy of my article, “New Delhi Should Invite Imran Khan”, which appeared in The Sunday Guardian on 28 July 2018, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On 29 July, he called and congratulated Khan. However, as usual, the initial warmth cooled down fast.
The big question is will there be peace between India and Pakistan? Yes, it primarily depends on how Pakistan approaches it. There is a strong desire for peace among Pakistani leaders and public; however, due to Pakistan’s actions and lack of trust on part of a large majority of Indians, it did not happen. There have been a number of articles in Dawn on how and when a serious dialogue would take place between the two countries. A number of articles in Indian as well as in Pakistani newspapers appeared which said that the dialogue would start after the UP elections. When nothing happened, now the tune is that it would happen after the parliament elections. One author wrote that serious dialogue would start when India reaches a position of strength and believes that it could dictate or influence the dialogue.
First, as I mentioned earlier, there is no doubt that the majority of people in Pakistan, including political and government leaders and even military leaders, desire a good and peaceful relationship with India. In April 2014, I visited Pakistan at the Pakistan government’s invitation. I belong to RSS and was a hawk on the issue of Pakistan. My article, “My Pakistan Visit: when a hawk turned into peacenick” appeared in the 2 January 2016 issue of The Sunday Guardian, Delhi. My second article about my Pakistan visit, “Indo-Pak Relationship: Immature Behaviour” appeared on 28 August 2015 issue of The Hindu. My visit to Pakistan greatly changed my opinion about Pakistan and I started my efforts of achieving peace between the two countries. Even the RSS also understood the need for good relations with Pakistan. I was born in Rawalpindi and I hope that in my lifetime, both countries achieve a relationship like that between Canada and USA.
Now, I will discuss when and how peace can happen in the Indian subcontinent. If a non-BJP government is formed after the election, the new government will not dare, at least for a significant time, to start any meaningful, if any, dialogue with Pakistan unless Pakistan makes a bold decision of declaring the unconditional cessation of its support to terrorist activities across the border and support of Kashmiri separatists. If non-BJP parties win, there are two factors which would prevent the new non-BJP government to make any effort of starting a dialogue with Pakistan. First, the new government would be a coalition of a number of parties and they would be focusing more on staying in power than doing any serious business, especially with respect to Pakistan. Even if the new government starts a dialogue, the strong BJP Opposition would stop the process. Only a BJP government can take a bold decision and action, as has been taken by two BJP Prime Ministers Vajpayee and Modi. Prime Minister Imran Khan also recently echoed a similar opinion.
The second factor that India is waiting to attain is a position of strength. The fact is that India is already far more superior, politically, economically and militarily than Pakistan. The problem is that India has not realised this fact. Once India realises this fact and gets confidence, India would be more willing to start a serious and fruitful dialogue. Besides this lack of realisation of the strength as I mentioned earlier, Indians do not trust Pakistan. One should also not forget that India has made a number of serious efforts to achieve a peaceful relationship with Pakistan; however, actions by Pakistan caused failure of India’s bold and serious efforts especially by both the BJP governments.
BJP’s Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced his government’s efforts for peace in Kashmir and with Pakistan. For the first time, he allowed people in both parts of Kashmir to meet each other. He took a bus trip to Pakistan and started the “Samjhauta Express Train”. Pakistanis told me that his poetic and emotional speech at a meeting expressing a desire for peace brought tears to the participants. What happened then? Pakistan attacked Kargil which broke Vajpayee’s heart and he stopped trusting Musharraf and Pakistan. When Musharraf became President, I asked Vajpayee to start discussions with Musharraf as discussions with a military man might be more fruitful. First, Vajpayee refused to meet Musharraf at all and then at the advice of his National Security Advisor, Brijesh Mishra, he invited Musharraf to India. Both worked out a deal and at the last minute, with the encouragement from then Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, Vajpayee refused to sign the agreement.
After becoming Prime Minister, Modi invited Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and other heads of SAARC countries to his swearing-in ceremony and despite some opposition in Pakistan, Sharif attended the ceremony. Then a couple of terrorist attacks took place in Kashmir and the cold wave took over the control again. At the SAARC meeting in Nepal, Modi completely ignored Sharif which did not go well in Pakistan. After that, there was a meeting in Russia where both India and Pakistan were also invited. I strongly advised Modi to have a “one-to-one” meeting with Sharif, which he did. I was informed by a Pakistani team member that the meeting was very cordial and fruitful. Both Prime Ministers agreed to pursue the discussions in Paris during the Climate Summit. Unfortunately, due to a terrorist attack at a school in Peshawar, Sharif did not attend the Paris meeting. However, Modi made a surprise stop at Lahore, attended a marriage of a Sharif family member and created a great goodwill. What happened then, a terrorist attack at the Pathankot air force base. Surprisingly, the Indian government’s reaction was mild. More surprisingly, Dattatrey Hosable, number three man in RSS, said: “India and Pakistan are brothers; brothers do fight sometimes; however, they still continue their brotherhood.”
Again, unfortunately, the Pathankot attack was followed by attacks at two other army bases. Neither Modi nor anyone else in India could swallow these attacks. However, efforts for peace continued and I was a part of these efforts. Finally, first the National Security advisors of both the countries met in Bangkok and this meeting was to be followed by a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of both the countries. Then, two Indian police officers were beheaded in Kashmir which forced India to cancel the meeting. Then came Kartarpur which was a good gesture by Pakistan. However, Imran Khan’s open support of Kashmiri and Khalistani terrorists soured this gesture and extent of importance given to Navjot Singh Sidhu added to India’s annoyance which also caused Sidhu’s political death. Pakistan’s continued denial that it does not provide any support to terrorists and they act at their own does not help. There is no doubt that until recently, the self claimed terrorists with a vow to destroy India and liberate Kashmir have been moving and functioning freely in Pakistan with offices all over Pakistan and huge bank accounts. Though the Army and ISI might have ceased their open contacts with the terrorist organisations, at least a part of the army and a sizable part of ISI continue to provide moral and logistic support to terrorist activities at the India’s military bases and in Kashmir.
If Pakistan is serious in having a peaceful relationship, not only Pakistan has to stop providing any direct or indirect support to terrorists, including Khalistanis and Maoists, Pakistan has to swallow a bitter pill and forget Kashmir. No matter what Pakistan does, Pakistan cannot get Kashmir and nor will Kashmir be an independent state. Kashmir has been bleeding Pakistan and not India as India is economically strong enough to bear the expenses forever. Pakistan is at the edge of bankruptcy whereas India has become an economic power. By supporting terrorists in India, Pakistan is creating a bigger problem political and economic for itself than for India. Kashmir has ceased to be an issue except for two countries India and Pakistan. An article which had appeared in Dawn acknowledged this fact. The article, “Is anyone listening to Pakistan on Kashmir” and the answer was no. When I read someone writing that Pakistan should invoke international outrage on the human rights violations in Kashmir, I remember one U.S. diplomat’s statement that a Pakistani talking about human rights is like Genghis Khan talking about non-violence.
By stopping direct or indirect support to terrorism, not only Pakistan would have a good relationship with India, it would enhance its credibility. Pakistan’s credibility is at such a low level that even Muslim countries do not trust Pakistanis. As in my U.S. Passport, Rawalpindi, Pakistan is mentioned as my birthplace, I have been detained at the immigration in many countries, including Muslim countries. Pakistan is the only country whose embassy personnel are not allowed to travel beyond 25 miles of Washington, D.C. Pakistan must take steps to change her image. Finally, sooner India and Pakistan forget the “K” word, sooner there would be peace between the two countries and Pakistan can start focusing on the development and economic progress.
Jitendra K. Tuli was an advisor to former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.