Talk must be guiding principle to resolve terror
India's drawing of a redline for a bilateral dialogue with Pakistan seems to be a timely action. The need of the hour is to make Pakistan understand that it cannot ignore the hard realities while agreeing for a discussion on the current deadlock. The simmering confrontation between the security forces and the protesters in the State of Jammu & Kashmir needs to be viewed and understood in the light of a grand strategy of Pakistan to foment terror and violence in the State. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar was forthright in outlining the contours of the India-Pakistan dialogue while sending a communication to his counterpart Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhary, saying that from 1947 to 1965 to the Kargil War, the latter's long history is always full of violence and war. He also reminded the Pakistani foreign secretary of his country's leaders past commitments to peace and bilateral resolutions on the Kashmir issue and of not allowing its soil to be used for anti-India activities by terrorists. From this, Pakistan must understand how the country is permanently at fault and it must stand by its own words while pressing for a dialogue on Kashmir. Its blind-folded leadership should come heavily on the massive terror network fanning within the country and the open appeal of jihadis for anti-India operations.
The five-point agenda laid down by India for talks on terrorism with Pakistan will initiate a hard diplomatic bargain as the reluctant neighbour had a habit of shying away from the very root of the problem: Cross-border terrorism. Even in the past also, most of the attempts to bring peace and development between the two nations had come to a grinding halt, just because Pakistan never wanted to rein in on its terror elements. Islamabad must realise that it should stop its official support to the valley youth for escalating violence and terror forever. The labelling of slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani by Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as ‘martyr’ bears testimony that his country is involved in supporting the militants in J&K. Further how long Pakistan will delay the detaining and prosecution of hardcore militants like Masood Azhar and Hafiz SaeedIJ Also Pakistan is asked not to provide a safe haven to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim which is now fast becoming almost permanent thaw between the two neighbours for any bilateral talk. If Pakistan could have any good intentions for resolving the issues related to terrorism which is persistently troubling the entire sub-continent, it should have waged a war against all militant outfits by now. When the godfather of global jihad Osama bin laden was given shelter by Pakistan and his eventual killing by the American security forces, the international community, spearheaded by the UN should have initiated direct action against that country. Why is the whole sub-continent suffering for one single countryIJ Who is there behind PakistanIJ The time has come to stand firm on Pakistan. It must be exposed why Pakistan offers official support to militant organisations. The most important aspect of the latest line of talk offer is the vacating of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir by Pakistan. This will be the most intricate issue that Pakistan may find it difficult to deliberate upon when it comes to the negotiating table. It is too late to expect a briefing on the culprits of both Mumbai terror assault and the progress on the probe into the Pathankot airbase attack. Pakistan must come clean this time. India must ensure international pressure on its neighbour.