ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan and India have
been engaged in “back channel” talks in order to break the stalemate in the
relationship between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, according to official
sources familiar with the development.
Relations between the two
countries have remained strained for years now and taken a turn for the worse
in August 2019, when India unilaterally revoked the special status of the
disputed Jammu and Kashmir region.
Since then the diplomatic
ties have been downgraded, bilateral trade suspended and there has been no
structured dialogue. But even before the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz
Sharif took charge, the two countries were talking to each other, albeit
quietly. Those contacts have led to the renewal of the ceasefire understanding
in February 2021 and since then the truce is holding, with no major incident of
ceasefire violation. But the process could not lead to a breakthrough in terms
of resumption of dialogue between the two countries. Since the new government
came to power in Islamabad, there has been a renewed push by the two sides to
find some way out. “Call it back channels, Track-II or behind-the-scene talks,
I can only confirm that relevant people in both countries are in touch with
each other,” an official source said. The source, however, said that he did not
have the exact details of those contacts, adding that it was precisely the
purpose of “back channels” to keep the discussions under wraps, until something
tangible had been decided. Chances of an immediate breakthrough are slim given
the political uncertainty in Pakistan and tough preconditions attached by both
sides for any resumption of dialogue. Prime Minister Shehbaz in his maiden
address to the nation on Friday asked India to reverse the August 5, 2019
actions so that both sides could engage in talks for the resolution of all
outstanding issues, including Kashmir. India, the sources said, is inclined to
the re-engagement but reluctant to offer something that would help Pakistan
resume the dialogue. “Our policy is clear. We want to engage with everyone,
including India,” said a senior member of the coalition government, while
requesting anonymity. The government functionary, however, was sceptical if the
hardline Narendra Modi government could show any flexibility on the issue of
Kashmir. The sources said that the Western powers, including the United States
and the UK, were also pushing for defusing tension and opening some formal
channels of communications between the two South Asian neighbours. India is
said to be eager to first resume trade and then other ties with Pakistan. New
Delhi is willing to meet wheat shortage of Pakistan by entering into a
government-to-government agreement. India is one of the top 3 wheat producers
in the world and Pakistan this season plans to import 4 million metric tons of
wheat to meet its domestic shortage. Pakistan could import wheat from India on
a much lower cost, given the less transportation and other logistic charges. Pakistan
is currently talking to Russia to import at least 2 million tons of wheat. The
commodity price in the global market has shot due to Russia-Ukraine conflict.
However, Pakistani officials are ruling out the possibility of importing wheat
from India given the current status of bilateral ties. In March 2021 Pakistan
was about to partially restore trade ties with India, when the Economic
Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet approved the import of sugar and
cotton from India. However, the proposal was shot down by the federal cabinet
later, stating that no normal business with India would be conducted unless New
Delhi restored the special status of Kashmir. Those who favour the resumption
of trade with India believe that this may lead to dialogue on Kashmir. But
others say that normalising trade and commercial ties with India without
seeking reversal of August 2019 actions would weaken Pakistani stance.
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