A fresh round of bilateral talks between India and Pakistan is ahead. So far relations between the two countries have been marked by high rhetoric. Stormy quarrels, great bonhomie and lasting stand-offs have alternated. A quiet engagement is necessary. There may not be remarkable breakthroughs or stunning failures. Where does Pakistan stand today, that is the question? The Abbotabad incident was a watershed. Pakistani feeling runs high against the US after that. The country is also beset with economic and social problems. Its volatility extends to India. A poll recently conducted by Pew Research Centre indicates that three in four Pakistanis look at India with disfavour. 67% of them think that India is the biggest threat to it. The Mohali spirit is fading, so is the understanding seemingly reached at the SAARC summit in Thimphu.
In the circumstances, it is imperative that India plays it cool in its talks with Pakistan. One cannot expect a great advance on a big outstanding issue like Jammu & Kashmir though that should decidedly be the core item on the agenda. Smaller pragmatic topics should also come under vigorous discussion. These include bilateral trade and facilitating the visa process. They affect the common man in both countries. Needless to say, there should be emphasis on Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) including greater people to people contact. That should be in Pakistan’s interest as large swathes of its territory are under terrorist threat. Both countries need to take a hard look at Chinese nuclear and military might. The recent naval skirmish between India and Pakistan should not unduly impair the bilateral moves. The army in Pakistan is the pivot of its power structure. India has to establish ties with it. All this of course may be destabilised by President Barack Obama’s decision to pull US troops out of Afghanistan by the end of the year.