Conundrum in Indo-Pak Relations

India and Pakistan’s relationship has no longer remained as the matter of two neighbouring countries, even earlier it was not a matter between two countries. Since beginning the bigger powers were interested in their matters, and this interest is not confined to futile talks rather they are fervently interested. America ,Britain have always been involved in it, China and Russia have also been involved directly. Britain as a former super power has been directly related and involved in these matters rather it can be said that whatever are the issues of India and Pakistan they are created by Britain. That is why it is natural to turn towards Britain for their solutions and in the same way Britain’s interest in them is also natural. So till today Britain’s plays an essential role. Whether it is the matter of the partition of India and Pakistan, defining the limits of Afghanistan and Pakistan border, the matter of establishing border between India and China, issue of Tibet, matter of communal violence or the problem of education, in any case every matter is created by Britain or it can be said it is the gift of Britain’s imperialist age. Naturally even today Britain has a record of all of them. Till today work is being done on them officially by the Government and their Think tank is also working on it in it’s own capacity. In the investigating agencies of Britain research and investigation about the different countries of the world is being carried out. This is the reason why today in Iran’s matter the role of Britain can be felt. In global leadership or rather monarchy America is now it’s closest successor., it might look bigger but it has to discuss with Britain and Britain still has the final say. Even in Indo-Pak matter Britain has a key role.

The matter of India and Pakistan holds so many aspects within it that it is not easy to encompass them but it is even not possible to ignore any one of them. In Pakistan on one hand there is the civil government and on the other hand there is the army and other secret agencies. The third group consists of the political parties. Public opinion has it’s own importance. Here one more factor is being added and that is the extremist Muslim group and no one can overlook them, neither the civil management, nor the armed leadership and the secret agencies and not even the political parties, even the foreign powers cannot overlook them. It is being said they are related to every group. Since the past few days a new division of soft-line and hard-line extremists have come up and in the matter of these soft-liners, America itself feels that talks can be carried out with them and they could be used to remove the hard-liners out of their way. Indo-Pak issue has become so badly entangled that it appears to be slipping out of the hands of both the countries. This is the reason why at times the situation becomes quite comical. Something similar happened in Yekaterinburg when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made an announcement in front of the reporters that no dialogue will be started with Pakistan until some strong steps are taken in the 26^th November issue but not only he had to carry out talks with President Zardari moreover he had to announce that in Sharm-el-sheikh there will be a meeting at the level of head of states and to make a progress in the bilateral talks there will be a meeting of the foreign secretaries of both the countries. Later on the Prime Minister had to clarify that he didn’t wanted to insult President Zardari. He even forgot the presence of the reporters and now in Sharm-el-sheikh it was decided that the incident of 26^th November will not be linked with the bilateral talks.

22/07/09 Editorial, sehrozaDAWAT, translated by: Asma Anjum Siddiqui