Pakistan and India current relations
If India and Pakistan have something sincerely done with each other is enmity. They have maintained acrimonious relations with each other since their independence from Great Britain in 1947. The relationship between the two has never been shifted from conflict management to conflict resolution. There are incidents in the hostile history of the two states when their governments tried to resolve the long-festering conflicts and issues but they failed due to mischievous acts perpetrated by the rogue elements inhabiting both sides of the border. The recent developments in South Asia and national elections in the two countries have brought some kind of change in the top brass of the two states. These developments suggest that there is a possibility of resumption of talks between the two countries.
What hinders the normalisation of relations?
“India and Pakistan are like two streams of a river that are running parallel to each other,
But do not intermingle with each other”. (S.M Burke)
Ironically, once India and Pakistan were a single nation, now they are two different neighboring nations continuously striving to avoid any kind of contact and relationship with each other. The major obstacles that restrict the two states from resuming dialogue and maintaining normal relationships are; the Kashmir issue, the historical baggage, terrorism, the division of the rivers and the distribution of water, territorial disputes like Siachen and Sir Creek, interference in internal matters of other state and carrying out proxy wars against each other and other related issues and conflicts. Currently, things have shifted from bad to worse when such issues and conflicts are not addressed to resolve them rather they are exploited for political leverage. In such conditions, it would be naive to expect that two states will be friendly neighbouring countries. However, the recent changes can cause a resumption of dialogues between the two.
Prospectus of resumption dialogue between India and Pakistan.
Narendra Modi has been elected third time the PM of India in the recent elections held in June 2024. This time he did not get the results he expected during the campaign of the elections. He expected that he would sweep the elections across India, however, he could not even cross the much-flaunted figure of 300. Modi-led alliance of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) managed to secure 393 seats. During the campaign, he exploited existing rivalry with Pakistan for his political milestone. Further, he bashed the Muslims of India in order to please his majority Hindu extremist voters. The election results compelled him to believe that such segregated language and strategy would not benefit him politically for his party, BJP, lost in UP province. In UP province he demolished the Babri Masjid and built Ram Mandir there to propagate RSS ideology. Such changes may temper the extremist views of PM Modi and he may extend an olive branch to Pakistan.
Hopefully, the change in election results in India and the failure of conventional strategies undertaken by PM Modi may soften the hardened stance of the PM toward Pakistan. On the other side of the border, there is a new government in place in Pakistan that is striving to keep the economy of the country afloat. The economy of Pakistan is in tatters; it cannot afford to maintain its enmity with India when its financial conditions are dishearteningly abysmal. It is the sheer need of Pakistan to revive at least trade relations with India. Pakistan can improve its economy by maintaining trade relations with its eastern neighbour.
Trade Relations
The two countries need to set aside their political conflicts for a while or they need to intermingle their political issues with their trade relations. They should carry on their trade relations irrespective of their existing political enmity. Specifically, it is a need of the hour for Pakistan so it should extend its hand of friendship toward India. There are several examples in the world where countries undertake trade with each other despite their political conflicts. For instance, China and India do trade with each other though several territorial and political issues persist between the two. Similarly, China and the Philippines; and the UK and Finland do trade with each other despite the fact that they are at loggerheads due to their territorial disputes.
Conclusion.
The Pakistan And India current relations discussed above gives some hope for the resumption of talks between Pakistan and India. However, there is a huge baggage of the past that hinders the two countries from maintaining normal relations with each other. In the past, the rulers and politicians have put their personal and political interests ahead of the well-being and betterment of people on both sides of the border. Now is the time, they need to resolve their political issues and conflicts rather than exploiting them for their political and personal milestones. Otherwise, the two countries will keep on sacrificing their people and their future for trivial matters that have no significance in the current setup of the world.