Indo-Pak dialogue may be jeopardised
On-going efforts to get the peace dialogue between India and Pakistan back on track could be jeopardised in the aftermath of the killing of five Indian soldiers by Pakistani troops in a pre-dawn ambush on the LoC on Tuesday.
Pakistan denied its troops were involved in the attack on an Indian army patrol in Poonch sector. It also reiterated its desire for the “early resumption of the dialogue process”. However, the incident does not bode well for bilateral ties, said sources.
Particularly as Tuesday’s incident comes close on the heels of Saturday’s attempt to attack the Indian consulate in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. The trio of suicide bombers who were aiming to attack the consulate are all believed to be Pakistani nationals.
On Tuesday, the Pak foreign ministry issued a statement indicating there was no cease-fire violation. It said: “ Our military authorities have confirmed that there had been no exchange of fire that could have resulted in such an incident.”
Islamabad also reiterated its resolve to abide by the 2003 cease-fire agreement.
Describing Indian media reports as “ill-founded”, Islamabad also said it is “committed to a constructive, sustained and result-oriented process of engagement with India...”.
However, sources here said that such incidents strike a blow to the on-going efforts to normalise relations and widen the trust deficit.
The summoning of the Pak deputy high commissioner in India, Mansoor Ahmed Khan to South Block by an angry New Delhi was not without a sense of deja vu. In January this year, the Pak envoy in Delhi, Salman Bashir had been summoned to South Block after the killing of two Indian soldiers — one of them was beheaded — on the LoC.
The ensuing tension in bilateral ties saw the peace dialogue come to a grinding halt with India calling off the water secretary-level talks in late January. The ostensible reason was that the then Indian water secretary was retiring.
But it was amply clear that New Delhi was expressing its displeasure over the beheading and the talks were off.
However, with a new government headed by Nawaz Sharif in place in Islamabad, both countries appeared well on track to resume the talks with Pakistan suggesting dates for talks on Wullar Barrage and Sir Creek.
Both these meetings are to be held in Islamabad under the third round of the Composite Dialogue which has remained suspended since January.
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