Editorial: Pak must restore trust

Foreign Minister S Jaishankar has rightly pointed out that sponsoring terrorism cannot be the policy of a good neighbour

With the NDA settling down for a third term in office, opting for continuity in terms of the top cabinet berths, there is a renewed focus on the policy towards Pakistan in the light of the frosty bilateral relations. Shortly after assuming charge as Foreign Minister for a second term, S Jaishankar made a reference to Pakistan and asserted that India would want to find a solution to the years-old cross-border terrorism. He has rightly pointed out that sponsoring terrorism cannot be the policy of a good neighbour. The minister’s remarks assume significance as they came close on the heels of a dastardly attack on a bus carrying pilgrims in Jammu by a Pakistan-backed terror outfit. The tragedy, resulting in the death of nine people including a two-year-old boy, came as a grim reminder that the terrorists, nurtured and patronised by the neighbouring country, could strike at will to create unrest in the region. Though there have been some conciliatory voices emerging from Pakistan in recent times regarding the resumption of dialogue with India, the reality is that terror and talks cannot go together. The onus is on Islamabad to dismantle the terror factories operating on its soil and take credible steps to restore trust. While congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his re-election, former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appealed for replacing hate with hope and seizing the opportunity to shape the destiny of the two billion people of South Asia. In his response, Modi reminded Sharif that the people in India had always stood for peace, security and progressive ideas.

The bilateral ties have been in deep freeze since the Pulwama terror attack and the retaliatory Balakot airstrikes of February 2019. The relations nosedived further after the revocation of Article 370, ending the special status for Jammu & Kashmir in August of that year. New Delhi has been consistent in its stand that the resumption of bilateral dialogue was not possible until Islamabad stopped supporting terrorism. Striking a candid and conciliatory tone, Nawaz Sharif recently admitted that his country had violated the spirit of the Lahore Declaration in 1999 and was responsible for the Kargil war. As the Reasi attack has shown, it’s an onerous task for Pakistan’s military-controlled political leadership to turn off the terror tap overnight. Pakistani rulers must realise that their obsession with Kashmir will not lead them anywhere. Cross-border terrorism, being nurtured and promoted by Pakistan for decades, is the single most important issue that needs to be tackled for the normalisation of bilateral ties. The only option before it to resume dialogue with India is by uprooting terrorist groups. There is a growing realisation across the world that Pakistan has become a hub for global terror and that it continues to pursue the policy of using terrorism as an instrument of state policy to foment trouble in India.

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