Under the auspices of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Pakistan and India are participating in six days of anti-terrorism exercises in Chebarkul, a town in Chelyabinsk Oblast in Russia.
There is a 110-member contingent from Pakistan, a 200-member contingent from India, and 748 members from China – altogether 3,000 professional troops from all member states are conducting joint anti-terrorism exercises. They will continue until Wednesday.
Pakistan and India joined the SCO in 2017 and attended their first summit this June in Qingdao, China. The SCO is a platform for regional cooperation in security, trade and culture. After joining the organization, all member states are bound to resolve all their disputes through peaceful dialogue.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, just after winning election, in a speech on July 26 said Pakistan wanted good relations with all countries, and he particularly mentioned India. Later on, in a tweet on August 21, Khan proposed talks with India on all issues including Jammu and Kashmir.
He further proposed that bilateral trade agreements be considered as a first step toward confidence-building.
For his part, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also mentioned the possibility of dialogue in his message to Khan on the occasion of his winning the July 25 election.
It is worth mentioning that Pakistani and Indian forces have worked together under United Nations peacekeeping missions in the past.
Traditional rivals
Pakistan and India won independence from British rule in 1947. Since independence, they have fought three major wars and have had numerous border disputes. The two countries are traditional rivals and have engaged in a cold war, an economic war, and a diplomatic war. Yet both countries face similar challenges, such as poverty.
Common citizens are deprived of basic necessities of life such as education, good food, and health care. Both countries face extremism, intolerance and global warming. If bilateral relations were normalized, the money saved on defense expenditures could be utilized for socio-economic welfare. The poor on both sides would benefit.
However, a lot has to be done and hard decisions have to be made. India recently signed a defense agreement with the United States worth US$8 billion, which should be reviewed as it will create an arms race and destabilize the whole region. India has disputes with all of its neighboring countries and any increase in the defense budget may be a direct threat to neighboring states.
The US is extending economic assistance and defense support to India to contain China, but India may not use its strength against China, but more likely against its smaller neighbors. The US is providing India with the latest technologies, the latest weapons, and India has become the largest beneficiary of the US after Israel. India is also collaborating with Israel closely in defense and economic matters.
India is facing serious domestic issues, especially with its lower castes and minorities. Superior-class Hindus and extremists Hindu organizations are given a free hand to suppress “untouchables” and minorities.
Women are the worst victims. The number of rape cases is growing. Homeless people, street children, lack of clean drinking water and toilet facilities, and malnutrition are major domestic challenges. Human-rights violations are widespread. Uprisings in Punjab, Bihar, Kashmir and Nagaland are gaining momentum.
Pakistan is a peace-loving nation and would like to offer all possible options to India to change its mindset and move forward for peace. It has made such proposals to India in the past, and the new government is also offering to normalize relations with India.
We Pakistanis believe in diplomacy and dialogue. The SCO platform is also a good option for resolving disputes. Pakistan is an open-minded country and willing to discuss all possible options based on mutual benefits.
The new prime minister, Imran Khan, is a man of principles and believes in justice for all. He respects others and expects respect in return. He may move two steps forward if India moves one step forward, as he mentioned in his post-election speech.
We already missed an opportunity with the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), which promotes regional peace, stability, cooperation and development, as India tried to hijack it and turn it into a dysfunctional organization. We should learn the lessons from the past and avoid repeating the same mistakes again and again, especially under the current geopolitical scenario, which is rather tense and hostile.
I am optimistic that India will understand and avail this opportunity of resolving all issues permanently. The ball is in India’s court. I also request that intellectuals, academicians, civil society, think-tanks, and the middle and lower classes of both sides promote peace. Let the people of both sides enjoy the basic amenities of life instead of hostility.
I totally agree with Prof. Zamir. This is the right time to begin the peace talks which will ultimately bring prosperity to the people of the subcontinent.
Peace talk and masses level contacts should be prioirty along with game diplomacy
From what I can see, there is hardly anyone in India who is even remotely interested in these peace overtures. India, I believe will do pretty well with or without these so called peace talks. Why bother when India has absolutely nothing to gain other than more terror artacks.
Thank you
Thanks a lot
Sorry, very negative approach. We support peace, harmony and development for all.
Zamir Awan Thats good. I guess Indians are driven by pure selfish National interests and elimination of terror is one of them. Most of us agree with what Modi rightfully said" Blood and Water cannot flow at the same time". Honestly there is zero enthusiasm (except one Mani Shankar Iyer and a certain Arundhati Roy) for any kind of peace overtures with Pakistan. Previous experiece tells us, its a lost cause. And besides India is doing fine as it is. Why bother?
Prasad Gopinath , Pakistan is also doing well without India, we don’t need India for any reason, for, fire and water can’t be brought together. We are the opposite banks of a river which can’t meet ever. It’s evident from your jingoistic comments that war is inevitable between Pakistan and India, though we don’t want war, but when it is imposed or thrust upon us, we have all the capability and right in the world to teach you a good lesson. We are fully prepared to retaliate with whatever we deem appropriate to give the befitting reply. I beg a great apology from reverend writer of this article that I totally disagree with the notion of having any trade ties with India until India doesn’t give up it’s hegemonic, hypocratic and boastful attitude and quit Kashmir. Which it is occupying since last 7 decades and until it’s a million deployed army doesn’t stop atrosities and persecution of kashimiris.
Robert clive, very unfair analysis. It’s very easy to put everything in the credit of terrorism. Even some naive people will put the struggle for human rights and freedom under the head of terrorism. Very unjust definition of terrorism. I wish no one on Earth should fall prey to such a genocide as the Rohingyas have fallen. Hypocrisy and double standards and self made definitions of terrorism would one day engulf all the remaining justice from the world and barbarity will reign supreme. And I am afraid we are on the fast track to barbarity today. Whoever is powerful dictates the terms with justice being murdered relentlessly and cold -bloodedly.
Muhammad Fayyaz
Fayyaz Sahib, AOA
I concur.
Although trade and peace unconditionally increase welfare of both parties, Pakistan today is in much stronger position than it was in last 71 years.
With BRI/CPEC Pakistan is integrating with Europe, Africa, and Asia, while uncooperative India makes itself an island in a globalized world.
While Pakistan distances itself with dying Corporate Capitalist West (especially America under Trump), India goes in bed with them.
While Pakistan is under a youthful leadership that is aiming at uniting the country, India is mired under an ex-terrorist Modi’s theocracy that divides India along caste, class, religion, sect, linguistic lines.
Unless India elects a better future oriented leader and vision, we do not need them. As they say in the Quran "To them their religion, to us ours". Best wishes to India.
Zamir Awan Well put.
both nation must build collaborative and collective frame works and should promote people to people contact through cultural exchange. Dialogue is best approach rather defence based approach.
Malik Saheb as long as a patronising attitude and a deep seated religious hatred against India and the Hindus will exist in your country peace will have no chance.best option is we remain neutral to each other like oil and water.
Syed Fazal Abbas exactly what we also want .To them their religion, to us ours. Quote unquote.once partition happened we should have moved on with our lives unconcerned with each other. But 4 wars were imposed on us and a state sponsored ongoing terror campaign can never bring the two nations to a negotiating table. This is the only hitch a deep seated cultural and religious hatred and bias from your side will never let peace exist between the two nations. The only best option should be total indifference to each other like oil and water which can never mix.we both should be happy with our own destiny and ignore each other.
Prasad Gopinath This is human nature, in urdu there is proverb (one sees straw in other’s eye yet doesnt see a log in his own), our senior neigbor is indluged in terrorism in Samjhota Train, Balochistan and on his minorities in Kashmir and Gujrat, which provokes indiginous frustration and anger. Its habitual for indian press to blame Pakistan and ISI for every event. Infact these are instinctive reactions of opressed like, Assamese, Tamils. Its failure of Indian Admin to assure every citizen of equal rights and respect.
Muhammad Fayyaz : I respect your point of view as a responce to Prasad’s comments. But I believe always there is a hope for peace and we should keep on struggling for peace. We must strengthen our defense but always let diplomacy to find a solution to all differences.
Syed Fazal Abbas,
We alaikumusalam wr.wb Shah sb.
Thanks very much sir!
Zamir Awan sb. Beg your forgiveness sir, we are being betrayed by India since 1947. Nehru the then P.M of India himself took the Kashmir issue to the UN and promised plebesite in kashmir under UN auspieces to allow the people of kashmir their basic right, the right of self determination. Why not India, while untiringly trumpeting about itself as the biggest democracy in the world, abiding by what it has promised at the UN level? They are just harping terrorism, terrorism to put mud into the eyes of the whole world on Kashmir issue where Indian coward army is inflicting the worst atrocities on innocent kashmiris while political hypocrite leadership is busy in propagating the propaganda of cross border infilterations. Whereas, India has been provenly involved in terrorist activities in Pakistan. Amid such grim realities how can we perceive about peace with India? How can we trade with India? The present extremist regime at Delhi is dragging India back to the stone age, promoting redicalism such as cow vigilantes at an electrifying pace. Extremist Hindus are busy converting Muslims and Christians to Hinduism forcibly. The talks between Pakistan and India have been taking place in the past, who made them meaningless? India can never be sincere to Pakistan, and it has been a proven fact, tested so many times not once or twice. So, in my opinion there is no need to talk or enhance any relations with India, and if it imposes war it should be given an all-out befitting reply. If they can’t give up hatred against us , most welcome, we will respond to them in their language.
Agreed. Peace is must for the development .
نبئ رحمت صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم نے بھی مدینہ میں
سب سے پہلے امن اور دفاع کا معاہدہ کیا۔ ہمسایوں سے اچھے تعلقات سے ہی ترقی ممکن ہے