Why Modi should continue engaging Sharif despite Pathankot terror attack

The Pathankot terror attack is a breach of trust by Pakistan. Coming only eight days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s unprecedented outreach, when he made an unannounced stopover in Lahore to personally greet his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the latter’s birthday, the January 2 attack on the air force base in Punjab is no less than backstabbing by the neighbouring country.

However, despite the breach of trust, India should learn from its past experiences. The BJP-led NDA government at the Centre should continue its engagements with Pakistan.

There are three options before India to deal with Pakistan in the current situation.

1. The hawkish approach, which will call for cutting off of all ties with Pakistan. The hawks will call for snapping negotiations over the 68-year-old pending issues of international boundary, terrorism or even trade talks. And cricketing and cultural ties are unquestionably a strict no-no.

The dovish approach, in which the so-called liberal, secular and "aman ki asha" types would profess talks, cricketing and cultural ties to continue despite the terrorist attacks.

Our past experience has shown that the first option has not worked at all. India had stopped all talks and ties in the past after terror incidents such as the Kargil misadventure of Pakistani army, the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and the 2001 Parliament attacks. The Modi government had even cancelled talks after Pakistan’s India envoy’s meeting with Kashmiri separatists.

But they all proved temporary. India had to finally indulge in attempts to normalise relations with Pakistan, either under international pressure or the self-realisation that it is impractical to keep a zero interaction with a next-door neighbour.

Hence, even this time around, India would only be repeating the same mistake of impulsively cutting off all ties temporarily and then be forced to return to the negotiating table. 

Also read: Pathankot terror attack proves Modi must end birthday diplomacy

2. The second option is the most impractical because, in such a scenario, India will be the loser all the way, while Pakistan will have nothing to lose. Hence, this option is beyond imagination and not feasible.

This brings us to the third option.

3. India should have a controlled relationship with Pakistan. The Modi government should not let whatever goodwill it has built with Pakistan go to waste.

Cricketing and cultural ties on an official level should continue to be kept in suspended animation till some kind of solution is found out between the two countries. However, talks on boundary, equitable trade and terror should continue unhindered.

This will be the most balanced approach by India towards its neighbour, which itself is victim of terror, besides being its promoter and also a haven. Pakistani polity is totally different from India. It may be a democracy but only by name, or, at least, not the same kind as India. Sharif may be the prime minister but terrorists are beyond his control.

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The Muslim country is driven by four Ms – military, mullahs, militants and media. The weak democratic institution is helpless, at least, before the military, mullahs and militants. The military, the ISI and mullahs wield control over the terrorists.

India will only be weakening Sharif further if it snaps ties with Pakistan. Alternately, in the process, it will be strengthening the hands of the army, ISI and the mullahs who survive on anti-India rhetoric and strained ties between the two neighbours.

Normalised ties between the two countries will render the military, mullahs and terrorists irrelevant. Hence, they always put a spanner in any attempts by the two countries to ease tensions.

The then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had created history by reaching out to Pakistan by travelling to Lahore on bus on February 20, 1999. But the then Pakistani army head General Pervez Musharraf had been planning the Kargil misadventure. India did give a befitting reply to Pakistan by neutralising their nefarious designs for which their army, ISI, mullahs were responsible.

Just like Vajpayee, Modi has personally invested in normalising relations with the neighbouring country. He should not allow all the efforts to go in vain. Lend Sharif a helping hand. He needs India’s support more in such times. A snap in ties will again prove infructuous. It will not serve any purpose except giving some ammo to the hawks.

Modi should weigh and compare the kind of response he had got during his Lahore visit on December 25 and the cancellation of talks or severing of ties. The former will win hands down. A hawkish stand will be temporary.

But a controlled or conditioned dovish approach will outlive all other positions which India has taken vis-à-vis Pakistan so far. Accordingly, Modi should strengthen Sharif’s hands to weaken the anti-democracy forces in Pakistan.