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Nawaz Sharif's good intentions
won't matter unless he begins to
rein in forces inimical to India
Aug 16, 2013, 12.00AM IST
Incongruities abound in the recent
exchange of statements between India
and Pakistan. Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif's conciliatory overtures to New
Delhi stand in sharp contrast to the
words and deeds of his army and of
militant groups who have often been in
cahoots with his party. The fingerprints
of the former are writ large on the
attack on the Indian consulate in
Jalalabad in Afghanistan and on the
multiple incidents of ceasefire
violations along the Line of Control.
Meanwhile, the latter have continued
with impunity to spout venom against
India. Will Sharif be able to rein in
these elements? It is not his intent but
his ability that is at stake here. There is
no credible evidence as yet to show that
he will soon get the upper hand over the
army and the terrorist outfits to pursue
his pragmatic policies related to India
and Afghanistan.
Nor is it clear whether there is a
consensus among Pakistan's political
parties on Sharif's desire to mend
fences with India. Even the PPP, that
sought a rapprochement with New Delhi
while in office, has distanced itself from
the prime minister. Add to this a
resolution of the Pakistan National
Assembly that reiterates the country's
hardline views on dealing with its
eastern neighbour.
Some introspection in New Delhi is also
in order. The defence minister's two
statements in quick succession on the
killing of five of our soldiers on our side
of the LoC have not quite cleared the air
of what actually transpired on the
ground. Add to this the BJP's clamour
that we should have no truck with
Pakistan, and indeed that we should
take stern punitive measures against it
for its trespasses. This very party, we
know, sang a different tune when it was
in office. And to cap it all, in response
to the resolution of the Pakistan
National Assembly, our own Parliament
unanimously passed an equally spirited,
if rhetorical, one.
Against this backdrop, New Delhi should
encourage Sharif to walk the talk:
ensure that the LoC remains tranquil,
that state and non-state actors hostile to
India are held on a tight leash and that
the accused in the Mumbai terror
attacks are brought to book. That was
indeed the burden of Manmohan
Singh's reference to Pakistan in his
Independence Day address to the
nation. Unless Sharif heeds his message,
a meeting between the two prime
ministers in New York next month
would be akin to whistling in the dark.
http:// m.timesofindia.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Nawaz-Sharifs-good-intentions-wont-matter-unless-he-begins-to-rein-in-forces-inimical-to-India/articleshow/21849245.cms
won't matter unless he begins to
rein in forces inimical to India
Aug 16, 2013, 12.00AM IST
Incongruities abound in the recent
exchange of statements between India
and Pakistan. Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif's conciliatory overtures to New
Delhi stand in sharp contrast to the
words and deeds of his army and of
militant groups who have often been in
cahoots with his party. The fingerprints
of the former are writ large on the
attack on the Indian consulate in
Jalalabad in Afghanistan and on the
multiple incidents of ceasefire
violations along the Line of Control.
Meanwhile, the latter have continued
with impunity to spout venom against
India. Will Sharif be able to rein in
these elements? It is not his intent but
his ability that is at stake here. There is
no credible evidence as yet to show that
he will soon get the upper hand over the
army and the terrorist outfits to pursue
his pragmatic policies related to India
and Afghanistan.
Nor is it clear whether there is a
consensus among Pakistan's political
parties on Sharif's desire to mend
fences with India. Even the PPP, that
sought a rapprochement with New Delhi
while in office, has distanced itself from
the prime minister. Add to this a
resolution of the Pakistan National
Assembly that reiterates the country's
hardline views on dealing with its
eastern neighbour.
Some introspection in New Delhi is also
in order. The defence minister's two
statements in quick succession on the
killing of five of our soldiers on our side
of the LoC have not quite cleared the air
of what actually transpired on the
ground. Add to this the BJP's clamour
that we should have no truck with
Pakistan, and indeed that we should
take stern punitive measures against it
for its trespasses. This very party, we
know, sang a different tune when it was
in office. And to cap it all, in response
to the resolution of the Pakistan
National Assembly, our own Parliament
unanimously passed an equally spirited,
if rhetorical, one.
Against this backdrop, New Delhi should
encourage Sharif to walk the talk:
ensure that the LoC remains tranquil,
that state and non-state actors hostile to
India are held on a tight leash and that
the accused in the Mumbai terror
attacks are brought to book. That was
indeed the burden of Manmohan
Singh's reference to Pakistan in his
Independence Day address to the
nation. Unless Sharif heeds his message,
a meeting between the two prime
ministers in New York next month
would be akin to whistling in the dark.
http:// m.timesofindia.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Nawaz-Sharifs-good-intentions-wont-matter-unless-he-begins-to-rein-in-forces-inimical-to-India/articleshow/21849245.cms
