Afshain Afzal

Indian National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan has rejected an impression that Sharm el-Sheikh summit between the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan had been a step forward. Although he cleverly added that it was not a step backward. It is not a hidden affair that after the Mumbai attack of November 26, 2008, Pakistan was the only country targeted by India despite the fact that a number of militants involved in Mumbai attacks were either locals of India or were holding dual western nationalities.

India should not feel shy in accepting the truth that Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani with an open mind and tried to move a step forward in Indo-Pakistan relations despite reservations in the light of western propaganda. However, the Indian Military Intelligence and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) sabotaged the efforts made by the Prime Ministers of the two countries only because of inclusion of Balochistan in the joint statement. It is because of negative reaction of Indian intelligence that Pakistan newspapers highlighted the issue of Balochistan in the media to prove Indian involvement in insurgency in Balochistan and Waziristan.

India is aggrieved that after the Sharm el-Sheikh joint statement, Pakistani leaders kept on telling all the foreign dignitaries that India is involved in Balochistan and Indian consulates in Afghanistan are involved in Balochistan and Waziristan. It is in the interest of both India and Pakistan that they should not allow third party to interfere in their internal affairs. We must understand the Indian compulsion that how can it admit before the international community that it is involved in Balochistan.

Mr. Narayanan expressed satisfaction that Pakistani establishment had begun recognizing the threat of terrorism posed to Pakistan and across the border by extremists like Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and its allied groups but not the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammed. He made ample clear that India donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t want Pakistan to become a fundamentalist state. Narayanan came up with a new idea that there is growth of fundamentalism and extremism in Pakistan and Punjab group is basically attacking India. He said, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Of course, umbilical connections between all these groups are emerging. In a more orderly society, I think they would say, letƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s nip it in the bud before it becomes a problem in the Punjab, which is the real heartland of Pakistan. But weƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ve seen no evidence of this. I canƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t say whether they are thinking about this. We can only go by actions.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Narayanan admitted that a lot of information about terror threats came from electronic intercepts by US, Britain and others.

India in order to put pressure on Pakistan and to show international community that Pakistan was involved in Mumbai attacks, announced to put on hold a meeting between the Foreign Secretaries who were expected to meet this month in the light of Sharm el-Sheikh joint statement. India made it clear that Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao is unlikely to go to Islamabad for talks with her Pakistani counterpart Salman Basheer.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ India has levelled allegations on Pakistan that despite the assurance given to India in Sharm el-Sheikh, Pakistan has virtually taken no action to prosecute the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks Foreign Ministers of the two countries meet in New York later this month. India has so far provided Pakistan with six dossiers but without evidences. This time India is pushing Pakistan to take action against Hafiz Saeed, only because India thinks that Hafiz Saeed is involved in Mumbai attacks. India has backed out from joint declaration of July 16 at Sharm-el-Sheikh and has refused to delinking terror from the dialogue process.

India has reverted to its old stance that no meaningful talks can be held unless Islamabad takes action against the Mumbai terrorists. It needs to be mentioned here that some days back External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna also asked Pakistan to take ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-effective stepsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism. He stressed that a meaningful dialogue will only be possible after Pakistan fulfills its commitment not to allow its territory to be used for terrorist activities against India and bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice. India has resorted to its old tactics of allegations and counter allegations and blames and counter blames. It has been confirmed by the Indian National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan that a lot of information about terror threats came from electronic intercepts by US, Britain and others.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In other words, western countries have their own interests and want that both Pakistan and India should remain enemies for ever. Their sole objective is to divide the people of these countries on ethnic and sectarian lines in order to maintain their hegemony in the region. India and Pakistan have lost ample of their precious time, billions of rupees and of course resources to degrade each other. It is in the interest of both the countries to live with peace as good neighbours and not to allow the aliens to play with their sentiments. US, Britain, Israel and other countries have long term objectives in South Asian region and they are using us. It is a right time for India and Pakistan to awake and not to allow foreign powers from the western and other corners to use us as tools against each other.