Indo-pak relations

Indo-pak trafficCHAPTER VII INDO-PAK RELATIONSBackground1.Indo-Pakistan relations are grounded in the political, geographic, cultural, and economic links amidst the Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The deuce countries share oft of their common geographic location, and phantasmal demographics yet diplomatic relations in the midst of the dickens are prefaced by numerous array participations and territorial disputes. However, attempts to improve relations have been made.2.Since independence, Pakistan owes much of its identity to its distinctness from India. It has engaged in three sizable wars with India, positivistic several major border skirmishes. The struggle over Kashmir has contributed to most of these conflicts. Pakistan has sponsored decades of proxy paramilitary unit operations infrataken in the name of freedom fighting knowing to right or take revenge for cumulative wrongs. It has developed amd deployed nuclear weapons whose sole strategic p urpose re slowlys to India. And it has employmentd its relations with other countries, curiously Afghanistan and China to promote its anti India interests. Recently to a fault its perceived liaison in the US led war on nemesis has been cunningly exploited to continue the proxy war against India with perpetual immunity from ecumenical criticism. 3.Most of South Asia came under direct control of Great Britain in the late 18th century. The British rule over the Indian subcontinent lasted for almost cl years. 95% of the people living in South Asia practiced either Hindiism or Islam. The Muslim League, headed by Jinnah, proposed the Two Nation Theory in the azoic 20th century. According to the theory, Muslims and others shared little in common, and British India should be divided into two separate countries, cardinal for the Muslims and the other for the Hindu majority, which he feared would suppress the Muslim minority. The campaign gained momentum in early 1940s and by the en d of World War II, British Indias class was inevitable. The Partition of India in 1947 created two large countries independent from Britain Pakistan as two wings in the East and West separated by India in the middle. later Independence, India and Pakistan had established diplomatic relations. Subsequent years were marked by bitter occlusionic conflict, and the nations went to war four times. The war in 1971 finish in defeat and a nonher(prenominal) partition of Pakistan. The eastern wing cave in off as a new republic named Bangladesh, while the occidental wing continued as Pakistan.Stumbling Blocks4.The Debris of partition of India in 1947 has hazy Indias relations with Pakistan. Pakistans tendency to assume the role of guardianship of Indian Muslims is one of the major irritants between India and Pakistan. Another matter which became source of irritant between two countries was the distribution of river waters. The divergent perception of twain the countries on Indian Ocea n as a partition of peace was yet another irritant including the sir creek issue. Pakistan threat perception, inspite of assurances by India, coupled with party syndrome gave approach pattern to a proposal for Nuclear Weapon free zone in South-Asia (N.W.F.Z.S.A.) for it is believed that internal security depart give the external powers an opportunity and apology to futher enhance their presence and prestige in the Indian Ocean region. So this perception of Pakistan and India on the Indian Ocean as a zone of peace led to differences in their strategic perception.5.Another major issue which emerged between the two countries was the question of political status of the three princely states Junagarh, Hyderabad and Kashmir. and the most important issue which has marred the relations between the two countries has indeed been Kashmir. The dispute over Siachin glacier is an offshoot of the same problem. 6.Alleged interference in each others internal affairs is an irritant in Indo-Pak r elations which has brocaded its head very seriously in the recent years. India considers Pakistan responsible for fomenting terrorism in Punjab and Kashmir. 7.Pakistan has always settinged Afghanistan through the prism of antagonistic relationship with India, attempting to use Afghanistan as its defence in depth and cultivating its Mujahedeen as paramilitary reservists against possible Indian threats. Subsequent to the fall of Taliban in Afghanistan, Indian add-on aid and development activity in the war ravaged country appeared to Pakistan as a threat to its support in Afghanistan and that inimical interests will have free reign in the country. Pakistan has viewed this activity with dismay, its fear of blockade compounded by Indias establishment of a new airbase at Farkhor in Tajikistan. Current Challenges8.A year later on the Mumbai attack, two questions have persisted was the ISI or any other state element of Pakistan an accomplice in the attacks? If ISI which had nurtured pe rmit to lucre a proxy war against India, has cut itself from the group as claimed and was not involved in the attack, what stops Pakistan from effectively cracking on it?9.In weeks after the attacks, the Pakistan government, under immense international pressure and scrutiny, took several steps. A wear on Lashkar camp at Muzaffarabad led to the arrest of Commander Zuikur Rehman Lakhvi. This is perhaps besides where Abdul Wajid, whose alias has been shown as Zarar Shah, was picked up. Both are alleged dominate minds of the attack. Next it placed Hafiz Saeed, LeT founder and leader of its front organization, Jammat ud Dawa (JuD), under house arrest. 10.Some other corners of establishment may still hold the view that the LeT can be viewed as a strategic asset. The Pakistani governments reluctance to go all the way against LeT is too obvious. After six months of house arrest, Hafiz Saeed is a free man, and the government says it cannot act against him unless unfermented Delhi provi des concrete evidence linking him to Mumbai attacks. All other JuD activists have been released. The organization has not yet been banned and now operates under the name of Fallah-i- Insaniyat and was noticed in relief operations among the internally displaced in the Swat valley during the military operations there.11.As the arrest of David Headley and Tahawwur Hussain Rana in the US has shown, the LeT also retains operational capabilities. The two men are said to have been in communication with the LeT, and though they were arrested for an alleged terror plot against the Danish newspaper, they were also said to be planning attacks on National Defence College at New Delhi. Latest probes in Mumbai have revealed their definite links with the Mumbai terror attacks and many such incidents across India in the past. Further arrest of a Pakistan army Major for his links with Headley and Rana are bound to found questions on LeTs continuing links with the military as an institution, but wit h the sections deep down it, especially because the Major retired only two years ago.12.Home Minister Chidamarams haggling point us in the direction of just why these issues lack to be taken seriously another major terrorist attack on India could have consequences that would destabilise both the countries and could conceivably precipitate a regional crisis. In both Islamabad and New Delhi Mr. Chidambarams speech was interpreted as warning that India would respond to future mass casualty attack by targeting jihadist bases and logistical facilities in Pakistan. That, in turn could snowball into a conflict that would bring misery to all the people of South Asia.13.It is now accepted within the Pakistan Military that Al Qaeda, Taliban and their allies among Punjabi jihadis operate as a syndicate. But while they have included the Jaish-e-Mohammed, along with Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and the Sipah-e-Sahaba, in the syndicate, the LeT is still not considered part of it.14.The threat to Indias security from Islamic fundamentalism and globalisation of terror is immense. It is feared in some quarters that Pakistan is sending fundamentalist groups to Bangladesh as well. The Dhaka based extremist Islamic group, Harkatul-Jehad- Al-Islam (HJAI), is believed to be financed by Osama put in Laden. The evidence suggests that ISI and Taliban are involved with Harkatul operations in Bangladesh. 15.On the other go by Pakistans Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi says Pakistan is compiling hard evidence of Indias involvement in terrorist attacks on Pakistans public and its armed forces 16.The Indian External affairs attend Mr SM Krishna assured of the fact that India has clean hands with respect to Baluchistan and Afghanistan. He also mentioned that Islamabads suspicion s of Indias ulterior originators in Afghanistan were unfounded. The only motive is to restore peace and stability in the war-torn country17.During the period of excessive tension, India and Pakistan have growled at each other while meaningfully pointing towards their respective nuclear arsenal. Most recently following the Mumbai massacre, Pakistani march were moved out of NWFP towards the eastern border. Baitullah Mehsuds offer to jointly fight India was welcomed by the Pakistani army.18.India should derive no satisfaction from Pakistans predicament. Although religious extremists see general Muslims as Munafiqs (hypocrites) and therefore free to be blown up in markets and mosques they hate Hindus even more. In their calculus, hurting India would buy even more tickets for heaven than hurting Pakistan. They dream about ripping apart both societies or starting a war preferably nuclear between Pakistan and India.19.A common threat needs a common defence. But this is vexed unless Pakistan India conflict is reduced in intensity. In fact the extremist groups that menace both countries today are an unintended consequence of Pakistans frustration at Indias obduracy in Kashmir.