India, Pakistan talks will lead to detente

New Delhi must not dismiss the idea of holding dialogue with the military leadership in Islamabad

The release of an unusual book — The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace — has taken the global media and intelligentsia by storm and triggered a debate on how to reduce tension between the nuclear-powered restive neighbours. The book, based on conversations between former spy chiefs of India and Pakistan — A.S. Dulat, former RAW chief, and General Asad Durrani, former ISI chief — was launched in New Delhi last week.

Dulat, who was former Indian prime minister Atal Behrai Vajpayee’s Kashmir pointsman, has suggested to New Delhi to invite Pakistani Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa for a dialogue to restore peace. The suggestion, unusual for an Indian spy, seems to be valid going by the belief that the civilian government in Islamabad is subservient to the military when it comes to critical foreign policy issues geared towards their arch-rival India.

In Dulat’s words: “General Bajwa is making the ‘right noise’ referring to his recent remarks that disputes including Kashmir between India and Pakistan can be solved only through peace talks”.

The former spy chief’s suggestion came in the backdrop of his book release but signals from Pakistan do indicate that the military leadership is keen to initiate a dialogue with New Delhi, a view endorsed by UK-based think-tank Royal Unites Service Institute.

Will New Delhi reciprocate? This is a complex issue and will require deliberations at the highest level. It is no secret that all major foreign policy decisions are taken by the Indian Prime Minister’s Office and the National Security Adviser. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has the required political capital to take bold initiatives. For his swearing in ceremony in 2014, Modi had invited Pakistan’s then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

If Bajwa is invited to New Delhi it would not be the first time that a Pakistani general steps on Indian soil. What was termed as ‘cricket diplomacy’, Rajiv Gandhi invited Pakistani military ruler General Zia-ul-Haq in 1987 to watch a cricket match between India and Pakistan and the two leaders held talks on the sidelines. Similarly in 2002, General (retired) Pervez Musharraf visited during Vajpayee’s era for a summit in Agra to peace talks.

New Delhi must not dismiss the idea of holding talks with the military leadership in Pakistan without giving it a careful thought. It would a route worth exploring since the Pakistan’s civilian leadership cannot move forward without consulting military.