Pakistan’s army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani made a significant remark that all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan should be resolved to ensure peaceful coexistence. He added that Islamabad hoped the Siachen issue would be resolved so that neither India nor Pakistan had to bear the cost. Peaceful co-existence will enable both countries to concentrate on the well-being of the people. The top brass of the Pakistan army, Kayani said, were aware that there should be a good balance between defence and development. It will be unwise for the two countries to spend only on defence, neglecting development. The security of a country does not depend on securing the border alone but on making the people happy. Several rounds of talks have been held between India and Pakistan on the military standoff on Siachen which has escalated since 2003. The latest round of negotiations was held in New Delhi about a year ago. A resolution of the Siachen issue was necessary for Pakistan for environmental reasons, Kayani affirmed.
It is significant that General Kayani’s peace overture has come hard on the heels of President Asif Ali Zardari’s emphasis on a peace initiative during his recent visit to New Delhi. The crack which had developed between Zardari and Kayani also appears to have been papered over as far as relations with India are concerned. Pakistan’s interior minister Rehman Mallik had recently warned India against a surge in terror activities on his side of the border. All this has given rise to the speculation that Islamabad has become less confident about US backing. If Washington is cooling, Islamabad may think it necessary to seek support from New Delhi.
