WASHINGTON: The Pakistani military leadership is reaching out to Indiabecause it believes that the way to peace and prosperity is throughmilitary cooperation with India, says a new think-tank report.
“Attempts to open a dialogue come against a background of almost weeklyexchanges of fire along the Line of Control in Kashmir,” notes the UK-basedRoyal Unites Services Institute (RUSI), in a report on renewed efforts toreduce tensions between the two neighbours. “Will New Delhi reciprocate?”asks the report, which was released in London this week.
The report notes that “in a historic first last month,” Chief of the ArmyStaff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa invited Sanjay Vishwasrao, the Indian militaryattaché, and his team to the Pakistan Day military parade in Islamabad. Themove indicates that “ties between the two foes are warming up,” it adds,noting that Gen Bajwa followed this two weeks later by saying that thePakistan military wanted peace and dialogue with India.
The two countries will also take part in joint military drills in Russia inSeptember, with Chinese participation. Such developments mark a change inattitudes that started when Gen Bajwa became the army chief in November2016, the report adds.
During a visit to Britain last year, Gen Bajwa addressed a gathering atRUSI and announced that the Pakistan army was “now no more insecure andfeels confident of its future” and that he “welcomes Indian participationin Pakistan’s flagship infrastructure project, the China-Pakistan EconomicCorridor (CPEC)”.
The report points out that both India and Pakistan have tried to forgerelationships before as well. In the 1980s, Gen Ziaul Haq, and then Indianprime minister, Rajiv Gandhi, became close. Then, retired Gen PervezMusharraf and Atal Bihari Vajpayee also came close at a 2002 summit in Agrato resolving the Kashmir conflict despite a year-long tense situation onthe border. “Approaches by Pakistani generals have been welcomed by some inIndia, because they are seen to be able to deliver on peace,” RUSI reports.
The report notes that recent military operations in Fata have broughtsecurity and stability on the western border, encouraging the Pakistan Armyto approach India with the understanding that it will help Pakistan’supward economic trajectory and allow regional trade flourish. “Gen Hayat’splan could come to fruition this year,” the report adds.
The report also notes that so far, India has rejected Pakistan’s offer of atransit trade dialogue on Afghan-Indian commerce. “But with a sustainedapproach by Pakistani officers to India, it could only be a matter of timebefore Delhi agrees to at least talk to Islamabad,” the report concludes.