The visit to Islamabad of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is welcome but “also underlines the flip-flops and the lack of consistency in Indian diplomacy”, the CPI-M has said.
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The United States is encouraged by the recent dialogue between Pakistan and India to bilaterally work out the issues between them to reach diplomatic solutions to some of the thorny problems which the two countries still face. India has also found a way of talking directly this time with the Pakistani military, without bypassing the civilian leadership. Pakistan Army chief Gen Raheel Sharif’s visited Washington last month and met Vice President Joe Biden and others to discuss reviving the reconciliation process and shared concerns that those opposed to any deal with the Taliban (former President Hamid Karzai) may subvert the process.
It was clear that her visit had more to do with breaking the bilateral deadlock rather than the Heart of Asia conference. However, August appeared to be a jinxed month for the talks were kept in abeyance once again by Delhi which was determined not to expand the scope of the agenda that was agreed to in Ufa – namely terrorism but not Kashmir – the latter inclusion being determinedly sought by Pakistan. They are so powerful there that once the Government of Pakistan handed over administration of Swat Valley to Talibans but due to USA hand stand revoked it. Mrs Sushma Swaraj addressing the Meet said that Afghanistan was putting up fearless fight to meet the Talibans menace. He said India should give proof if it feels he was in Pakistan.
In order to avoid the glare of the media and bypass Indian objections to official s of visiting Pakistani delegations with Kashmiri separatists, talks between the national security advisers and foreign secretaries of the two countries were held in Bangkok on December 6.
During her visit Swaraj met with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz.
Regarding Nawaz-Modi brief encounter on the sidelines of the World Climate Summit in Paris recently, it is being speculated by different quarters that perhaps the ice has finally been broken and the possibility of resumption of the stalled full-fledged bilateral dialogue between the two countries has now brightened. While India accepted Pakistan’s proposal that talks should include the “Kashmir issue”, Pakistan agreed to discuss the issue of “terrorism” as proposed by India.
“The good news is they’ve agreed to resume what they call “comprehensive dialogue” and really all the subjects are the same”, she said. And we’ve urged the government to redouble its standing commitment to closer counter-terrorism cooperation with Afghanistan against all groups that pose a long term security threat to both countries.
Experts are unanimous that success or failure of the talks depends heavily on the role that Pakistan’s armed forces, mainly the Army, decides to play. “We will start the dialogue process from scratch”, Swaraj added. After weeks of demonstrations by tens of thousands in the heart of Islamabad, led by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)chief Imran Khan and religious leader Tahir-ul-Qadri, both believed to be backed by the military, Mr. Sharif prevailed, but not before a power-sharing arrangement was worked out between him and General Sharif.
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The agreement on resuming the dialogue came after a series of high-level contacts between the two sides last week. We’re proud to have helped thousands of Pakistani youth and professionals achieve the technical, academic and linguistic tools they need to become innovators and entrepreneurs and to succeed in this increasingly global economy.
