India need not be in any rush to restore full diplomatic relations with its errant neighbour.
It’s amazing how countless people in India wish their Pakistani neighbours well notwithstanding the Pakistan establishment’s consistent and unproductive hostility towards India. That all Indian Prime Ministers, since August 1947, have endeavoured with sincerity to improve relations with Pakistan, including PM Narendra Modi is an indisputable fact. That Pakistan refuses to learn even the basic political and neighbourly pragmatism and what is good for itself is indeed mystifying.
The just anointed Pakistani PM, Shehbaz Sharif, after a sham and rigged election, spelt out his foreign policy objectives. Seeking good neighbourly relations is laudable but equating Kashmir with the recent Gaza happenings is falsehood to the extreme. By now nearly the entire world knows the reality of J&K and how since the abolition of the outdated Article 370, the entire J&K is at peace with itself and well on its way for all round inclusive progress. Kashmiris too now acknowledge this new realty including politicians from the National Conference, the People’s Democratic Party and even the erstwhile separatist groups albeit reluctantly. That India has been hosting international events in J&K such as the G-20 tourism conference is reason enough for the truth regarding the political situation in J&K to be clear to India’s detractors. That tourist footfall in 2023 in Kashmir saw a phenomenal rise to over 2 crore including 50,000 foreign tourists further reinforces this changing reality. That the hapless newly sworn-in Pak PM, despite knowing this simple truth, has to read out his foreign policy mission scripted by the current ruler of Pakistan, its highly anti-India Army Chief Gen Asif Munir, is thus no surprise.
That the Pakistan Army calls the shots is an eternal truth of Pakistan’s foreign policy. However, for the first time since 1947, the Pak Army is confronting internal dissent, indiscipline and GHQ Rawalpindi is on an overdrive weeding out corruption and display of indiscipline among some in their officer cadre.
It is Pakistan’s eternal misfortune that its Army has ruled it for nearly half of its existence since August 1947 and brought the country to such a sorry state. Pakistan currently carries a huge external debt of over 60 billion dollars, which it will never be able to pay back. That Pakistan has to beg international financial institutions like the World Bank, IMF, besides the US, Saudi Arabia and its Chinese masters to bail them out regularly must be hurting the impoverished though self-respecting Pakistani populace. But the Pakistani public must realise that if they wish to survive as a nation-state they have to find ways and means to diminish the evil influence of their globally infamous Deep State—the unholy trinity of the Pakistani Army, their intelligence agencies and the many terrorist “tanzeems” floating around their nation. The Pakistani public must realise that they are on their way to political anarchy and economic deprivation of the worst order. They must also fathom the simple fact that India has generally displayed restraint towards them despite myriad Pakistani provocations. India has truly avoided exploiting Pakistan’s innumerable fault lines. Pakistan’s predicaments are all attributable to their overly formidable and utterly selfish Deep State.
As far as India is concerned, despite many sane Indian voices to keep the doors open for improving relations with them, the Pakistani establishment has shown no signs of any cordial reciprocation. Thus let’s leave them to their fate while we maintain the utmost levels of security preparedness by keeping an eye on them for any mischief they may make singly or in concert with China. If they dare to, then Pakistan should be prepared for a wholesome Indian retaliation which they will not forget. Hopefully, the realist Nawaz Sharif, once he rids himself of the many corruption cases against him, drills some sense into his younger brother, the current Pak PM. India need not be in any rush to restore full diplomatic relations with its errant neighbour. Pakistan must realise that reciprocity is the cardinal principle of diplomatic relations and the ball is entirely in its court. If Pakistan wishes to survive it can only do so if it faithfully heeds the tenets promulgated by its founder, Mohammed Ali Jinnah. That it has vastly deviated from them is an indisputable fact of its turbulent and inglorious history. Nevertheless, India wishes Pakistan well, for peace and prosperity in the region to prevail. Pakistan needs to make its choice.
Lt Gen Kamal Davar retired from the Indian Army.