The Hindu : Musharraf must keep his promise

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 24, 2003

Opinion

Opinion - News Analysis

Musharraf must keep his promise

By Kuldip Nayar

The official reaction from Islamabad to the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee's offer on talks has been rather disappointing. Pakistan is reportedly trying to appoint a representative for the talks. This is a step in the right direction. But what about Mr. Vajpayee's suggestions that cross-border terrorism should stop and the training camps should be demolished? These are no "pre-conditions" as the Pakistan Government has made them out to be. All countries follow such norms. They do not allow their soil to be used for terrorism in neighbouring countries or elsewhere. To consider stoppage of terrorism equivalent to setting pre-conditions is to admit your own guilt.

Why doesn't Gen. Musharraf make good his promise? He told America that he would have the infiltration stopped and the training camps demolished. Washington passed on this information to us. But there has been no let-up in cross-border terrorism. In fact, a U.S. Congress team had said in its report that the infiltration went up last year and would further increase this year. To make matters worse, the Pakistan Foreign Minister, Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri, wants to drag six or seven European nations to supervise the border and see whether there is infiltration. Since what Mr. Kasuri says contradicts what Gen. Musharraf told the U.S., suspicions are bound to arise. Is Gen. Musharraf playing a double game?

I do not know if the resignation of Robert Blackwill, America's Ambassador to New Delhi, has anything to do with Washington's failure to rein in Pakistan. His statement that "the fight against international terrorism will not be won until terrorism against India ends permanently" gives us a clue.

It is apparent that he wanted more pressure to be applied on Gen. Musharraf to stop cross-border terrorism. Gen. Musharraf may ultimately agree to what the American representatives visiting the region next month will dictate.

The wave of jubilation, which has spread all over Pakistan and India, indicates that people on both sides want peace and conciliation. Bringing in other things at this time is to introduce extraneous considerations. It is obvious that the Pakistani military has a vested interest in not sorting out problems with India.

The more hostile Pakistan's relations with India are, the greater would be the need for the military's presence in Islamabad. It may be thinking along these lines. Pakistan's Prime Minister, Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, has himself said that Gen. Musharraf is his boss and not Parliament.

I have no doubt that a dialogue between India and Pakistan will take place sooner or later. America is relentlessly applying pressure on both countries to have a dialogue. The question is how to make the dialogue meaningful? There is a point in the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Farooq Abdullah's statement that the ground should be prepared.

A solution between India and Pakistan has to be evolved. It cannot happen overnight.

Probably, that is the reason why the Lahore bus trip did not come to much and why the Agra Summit was not successful.

In any case, for the atmosphere to become conducive for a dialogue there has to be peace.

Mr. Vajpayee's initiative should be grasped by Pakistan with both hands. I hope the Lashkar-e-Taiba's vow to carry on a jehad in Kashmir is not with the blessings of Islamabad.

Things can go out of hand. Now that New Delhi is willing to talk to Islamabad there is no reason why Gen. Musharraf should be dragging his feet. If and when the proposal for a dialogue between India and Pakistan is finalised, I hope no top bureaucrat is chosen to take over Mr. Vajpayee's initiative.

All these matters are political. And they require finesse and a sense of accommodation which bureaucrats do not have, particularly retired ones.

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