ROMANCING PAKISTAN
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editricon ROMANCING PAKISTAN

President Asif Ali Zardari, by far the most outspoken Pakistan Political leaders is arriving in India to offer prayers at famous Ajmer Dargha with an entourage of 40 people purely on personal visit. The timing of this event was perfect when US administration announced a bounty on JuD chief Hafiz Saeed believed to be the master mind behind the siege of Mumbai which left many dead and our pride tarnished. The Pro Pakistani lobby in the media are agog with speculation as to whether our Prime Minister will seize this opportunity to continue the dialogue for nomalcy of ties. There is a lunch meeting which our Home Minister may give a skip not utilising the opportunity to talk to Rehman Malik Pakistan;s interior minister for he has felt that Pakistan has done precious little in briging to justice the perpetrators of inhuman crime. He is absolutely right.

However, the romaticism of our Prime Minister towards normalcy of relations with our eternal trouble maker in the western borders transcends all reasoning. It may be compared to Nehru's obsession with his panchsheel and his image of a peace maker which override national considerations eventually resulting in a resounding defeat in the hands of Chinese. When Omvir Tyagi brought a private member's bill to reclaim lost territories, Nehru had retorted that not a blade of grass grew over there as if they are his ancestral property to be easily forsaken.

Similarly, we have had Prime Ministers from Morarji Desai to Atal Behari Vajpayee who wanted normal ties with Pakistan. Morarji was honoured with highest civilian honor of Pakistan which even Mahatama did not get. During his time, Military ruler Gen Zia Ul Haque was sincere in finding a solution to the vexatous Kashmir issue. His cricket diplomacy was replicated later but with only fanfare no real sincerity. At the height of Desai's shortlived rule Indira Gandhi charged the Janatha Party Government was planning a skirmish in the borders to arouse national sentiments and thereby win elections. a war with Pakistan also helped the party in power to get larger mandate. Remember the stock of Lal Bahadur Shastri went up after he led India to a victory over Pakistan in 1965 closely following our defeat in the hands of China. His Jai Jawan Jai Kisan slogan till today reverberates.

Atal Behari Vajpayee did another Nehru when he travelled to Pakistan in his Bus to Lahore. Trains started running across the borders. The euphoria died shortly when Prevez Musharaff planted his men across Kargil which caught our army unawares. Call me stupid, anti national whatever, but for the intervention of Clinton Couple, we almost lost the Kargil war. Many of our soldiers were ambushed and the world's second largest army was clueless. This was an act of betrayal by the then political leadership which unabashedly celebrated Vijay Diwas and won an election with a larger mandate. Only Lal Krishna Advani knew the tricks of the General so he botched up his idea in the Agra summit when the General said he had almost singlehandedly with the blessings of Atalji brought forth a compromise formula for solving Kashmir issue. Not even Lalu yadav who was joked to have offered Bihar along with Kashmir to the General which the  General refused and accepted Kashmir as an integral part of India could have done it.

any one talking of peace with Pakistan with none of its political leaders except perhaps President Zardari have admitted to its role in fanning militancy and exteremism in Kashmir as an instrument of state policy  I would dare say romanticise the relations which are beyond repair. In many TV shows I have seen Former Diplomats and Generals of Pakistan army praying ignorance to what JuD and its  LeT arm continue to do in India and refuse any responsibility for having grown up terror outfits to destabilise India. Kushwant Singhs, Gulzars may talk about peace with Pakistan but until and unless they are apologetic to what they have done and continue to do, talks will show us in poor light as a meek nation. this is not rhetoric. Left to himself, our Home Minister could have probably ordered retaliatory strikes following the Mumbai siege which US administration also acquiesced as legitimate. He could have obliterated the terror camps operating from their soil.

Our only hope is President Zardari who talks sense and seems to have realised. The so called memo gate which talked of US intervention to curb a possible army take over in return for which Pakistan would handover the perpetraros of Mumbai attacks to India to face trial showed how sincere the President is. Unfortunately he still not media darling as his PrimeMinister who ismore hawkish. The Presidential immunity that the Prime Minister claims for not reopening the so called graft cases as ordered by the Supreme Court of Pakistan is so real but this man lacks public sympathy for he speaks the truth. The Supreme Court of Pakistan has been dismissive of the charge of the complicity and patronage to the massacre by JuD and LeT and its chief. One can not expect justice from these people. We should show what we mean and no further talks should be held unless they handover LeT chief to India. Left to himself Zardari will do, but will his people forgive him?

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