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Posted on 20 October 2011 |
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| CURRENT AFFAIRS |
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INDIA-PAKISTAN
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India appeals to US, Pakistan to mend ties
India, France stress on a stable Pakistan
Iftikhar Gilani
New Delhi
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India has expressed concerns at the growing tension between Pakistan and the US |
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The escalating tension between old allies the United States and Pakistan could be a source of elation in the Indian strategic circles, but the Centre is worried by the turn of events. Sources here say that America’s deteriorating ties with Pakistan coupled with Iran in the region could cause greater instability in Afghanistan especially if NATO forces withdraw from the war-torn nation by 2014 as planned.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh conducted a high-level security review of the situation after returning from Pretoria, where he was attending the three-day IBSA (India, Brazil and South Africa) summit. At a joint press conference with visiting French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe here on Thursday, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna voiced India’s concerns. Appealing to both the US and Pakistan to resolve their problems, Krishna said that anything that upset the region had adverse consequences on neighbouring countries particularly India. “We hope they resolve their differences across the table,” he said.
His French counterpart also echoed concerns saying his country was equally worried at the situation in Pakistan. He described Pakistan a central player in finding a solution to the Afghanistan imbroglio proposing a collective security cooperation of countries around the war-ravaged country.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said Pakistan should settle its problems internally, but stability and peace in that country was necessary not only for India and South Asia but for whole world.
Against the backdrop of a reported US-Afghan troop build-up along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, Pakistan Army Chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has warned that the America should think “ten times” before launching a unilateral attack on North Waziristan province of nuclear-armed country. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, accompanied by CIA chief General David Petraeus and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Martin Dempsey was scheduled to arrive in Islamabad on Thursday to hold meetings with the civil and military leadership.
Senior research fellow at premier think tank Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA) Smruti S Pattanaik believes that India has realised the importance of Pakistan in a peaceful political transition in Afghanistan. “Therefore, rather than getting into a flurry of activities involving reconciliation or security, it has initially restricted itself to economic development and capacity building. This was in spite of Afghanistan’s request to train its security forces and have defence cooperation,” she said while referring to the recently signed strategic partnership agreement between India and Afghanistan.
“India realises this and has been pursuing a multi-pronged approach. While it has kept Pakistan bilaterally engaged in talks to address the issue of terrorism, it is also in touch with other regional countries through bilateral and multilateral forums,” Pattanaik maintains.
Recently, Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai said that he preferred to talk to Pakistan rather than the Taliban for a political solution especially after the assassination of former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani, who was the head of the High Peace Council.
Others differ on India’s attitude towards Pakistan. Major General (Rtd) Gagan Deep Bakhshi said that the government should remain extra-vigilant and cautious. “If Pakistan can throw tantrums to the United States, which has provided almost $20 billion aid and is a major driver of Pakistan’s economy, then what Islamabad can do with India?” he said. The General added that he had no complaints against ordinary Pakistanis, who were trapped in the military’s vicious cycle. He said that 11 Corps Commanders who run the show decide the fate of people. “If the country is peaceful, they [the Commanders] believe it would undermine their authority,” he believes.
Iftikhar Gilani is Special Correspondent with Tehelka.com
iftikhar@tehelka.com
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