The bilateral rift between India and Pakistan has tended to overshadow various international engagements in recent times. Resultantly, associations created for increasing regional cooperation and strategic understanding have become virtually defunct over the years. In this context, the biggest loser is the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), a regional grouping of seven South Asian countries, where 21 percent of the global population lives. After initial success in bringing the seven neighbours closer, SAARC came to an abrupt halt since Pakistan became a safe haven for terrorists. Labelling the western neighbour as the breeding ground of terrorism, India has refused to attend SAARC meetings, a decision that received wholehearted support from other nations like Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka, countries that have also been affected by terrorism the most. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers’ meeting held in Goa in 2023 also witnessed a face-off between the two countries. While the then-Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari alleged that India was ‘weaponising terrorism for diplomatic point-scoring’, India responded by accusing the neighbouring country of being the ‘justifier and spokesperson of the terrorism industry.’ Many believed this was one of the reasons behind holding the summit meeting virtually.
Under these circumstances, when it was announced that Union Foreign Minister S Jaishankar would attend the SCO meet in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, on October 15 and the 16th, many anticipated a slugfest between India and the host nation like in 2023. But, proving the pundits wrong, both neighbours appeared to be at their civilised best by keeping bilateral issues on the back burner for the time being. While Pakistan did not raise the ‘Kashmir’ issue, as it has done in many international meetings, including the recent UN General Assembly meeting, India exercised restraint by not talking about terrorism. The matured approach of both nations during the meet was so refreshing that it provoked former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to wish that fresh dialogue between India and Pakistan should begin soon. The former Prime Minister further advised the nations to pick up the threads of the dialogues held between him and former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The visit of an Indian minister to Pakistan after eight years clearly indicates that New Delhi is willing to have cordial relations with its neighbour. Now, it is for Pakistan to reciprocate the same by addressing all the contentious issues between the two countries with an open mind. On its part, if Islamabad can stop its soil from being used for anti-India activities, it will definitely mark a new beginning in the Indo-Pakistan relationship. However, one should not be so optimistic until knowing the stand of the Pakistani army, as it influences the country’s policy heavily. It’s time for the political leaders of Pakistan to ask the army not to interfere with government policies. Although the border has been relatively peaceful in recent times, the rise in militant attacks in Jammu & Kashmir indicates that someone powerful from across the border is clandestinely helping them, which is hurting peace in the subcontinent.
