Why did Prime Minister Manmohan Singh blink at the meeting with Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in Sharm el-Sheikh? The truth is that he was under tremendous pressure from the US to give the beleaguered Pakistani regime a breather, notwithstanding all the nice things that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had to say during her recent visit to New Delhi earlier this week.

With Mr Gilani hailing the so-called Indian ‘admission' on Baluchistan as a huge victory, Mr Singh has been left with little room to manoeuvre. Although the Prime Minister has claimed that the reference to Baluchistan in the joint statement issued in Sharm el-Sheikh was not a climbdown, his counterpart has given it a different twist. Speaking to the media after his return to Islamabad, Mr Gilani said, "The joint statement ...underlines our concerns over India's interference in Baluchistan and other areas."

The Government's apologists have been arguing that in exchange of India agreeing to include Baluchistan, Mr Gilani had agreed not to make any reference to Kashmir in the joint statement. This is hardly justifiable. By putting Baluchistan on the table, Mr Singh has given Pakistan an additional issue to deflect the blame for cross-border terrorism. Besides, it will be naïve to believe that Pakistan will actually give up on Kashmir.

On the other hand, our position on the composite dialogue process has also shifted, courtesy Mr Singh. Ever since 26/11, our stand had been that the dialogue process would only resume when there was credible evidence to show that the Pakistani authorities had taken appropriate action against those who planned the Mumbai terror strikes.

But in a baffling turnaround, Mr Singh actually agreed to de-link the two issues. Thus, in one move Mr Singh relinquished all the strategic-diplomatic advantage that New Delhi had over Islamabad.

The Government, in its enthusiasm to curry favour with the Obama Administration, has clearly overlooked the nuances of Islamabad's relationship with terrorist organisations. Studies by US think-tanks and Congressional groups have revealed how these organisations are an intrinsic part of Pakistan's strategic diplomacy vis-à-vis India. In dealing with Pakistan we have to constantly remind ourselves that it is the Pakistani Army that calls the shots in that country and that civilian Governments have limited clout.

Last update : 27-07-2009 01:33

Keywords : Sharm Surrender Not Surprising, Balbir K Punj

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