Desk Report,
Is it possible to end the India-Pakistan stalemate?
Whether talks between India and Pakistan can be started or continued, and whether good results can be obtained from those talks if they are continued, all depend on the current relationship between the two.
Is it possible to end the India-Pakistan stalemate?
Unfortunately, the situation is very disappointing in all three areas today. Because none of the ruling groups in the two countries are showing any interest in sincere dialogue to resolve the major issues. Since Pakistan is a relatively small country, it should have been more proactive in reducing tensions. But after the recent four-day border conflict, both countries are more reluctant to talk.
There is no pressure from the public or the opposition parties to ask for dialogue. Now the question is whether there will be a second round of conflict. What could be the outcome of another conflict? This is a dangerous situation. Because both countries are nuclear-armed and if the conflict spreads, it will not be limited to the border. Technological surprises or new war tactics can make the situation even more dangerous at any time. This is why all possibilities for dialogue should be explored. But in reality, even experienced diplomats do not see any positive attitude on this issue. Because, the political discourse of the two countries has become so contradictory, the cost of continuing the current stalemate seems less than the political risk of initiating dialogue.
In a recent interview with a former Pakistani foreign minister by an Indian journalist, we see that the journalist’s question is presenting the Indian perspective, and the minister’s answer was the Pakistani perspective. Neither side is interested in constructive dialogue. Both countries have many big problems. Such as preventing the possibility of nuclear war, saving from the horrors of the climate problem, good governance, human rights, development and making South Asia the center of the global economy. To meet these challenges, a positive change in India-Pakistan relations and the revival of SAARC are necessary. But both sides’ mutual perspectives need to change.
India believes that Pakistan is a failed state with which long-term relations are pointless. On the other hand, Pakistan believes that India has become a hegemonic state and that China’s presence in South Asia has made India unstable (since China considers India an ally of the United States).
In this reality, the two countries are doing various destructive things against each other. Now there is a need to create awareness among political leaders, policymakers, journalists, teachers, artists, poets, and writers. They should understand that it is necessary to humanely reconsider mutual policies for the survival of both countries. Now the chances of this are very slim. Because, the politics of both countries are more inclined towards centralizing power than public welfare. Both countries have taken many ‘confidence building initiatives’ in the past. Some of them have been implemented, some have not.
