Is the tiger changing its spots?

 

 

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari's interview with the Wall Street Journal in which he had termed militant Islamic groups operating in Kashmir as "terrorists" has generated a furore amongst the fundamentalist forces in Pakistan. However, saner elements in the country have hailed the daring statement.

"Pakistan is committed to resolve the Kashmir dispute through peaceful means. However, any outside interference in that state will be detrimental to the cause of Kashmir. Zardari, in fact, has denounced non-Kashmiri militants who are bent upon bringing a bad name to Pakistan," said Dr Mutahir Ahmed, professor of International Relations at the University of Karachi.

In an interview with Bret Stephens of The Wall Street Journal, Zardari welcomed a free-trade agreement with India. "India has never been a threat to Pakistan," he said, adding, "I, for one, and our democratic government is not scared of Indian influence abroad."

Surprisingly, Pakistan's military establishment that dominates policies related to India, Kashmir and nuclear issue did not reacted adversely to Zardari's utterances. In fact, his stance ushers a new era in Pakistan-India relationship. The Pakistan president also did not object to the India-US nuclear cooperation pact, so long as Pakistan was treated 'at par'.

"Why would we begrudge the largest democracy in the world getting friendly with one of the oldest democracies in the world?" Zardari was quoted as telling The Wall Street Journal. Zardari imagines Pakistani cement factories being constructed to provide for India's huge infrastructure needs and Pakistani textile mills meeting Indian demand for blue jeans.

"For a country that spent most of its existence trying to show that it's the military equal of its neighbour, the agenda amounts to remarakable recognition of the strides India has made in becoming a true world power," observed The Wall Street Journal. Enlightened political analysts feel it's time Pakistan foregoes jingoistic policies with India.

"Kashmir issue has never been discussed in Pakistan parliament and even after 60 years, it is not clear that under whose orders armed bandits were sent to Kashmir in 1948 because the founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah was averse to such intervention," said Tauseef Ahmed Khan, associate professor at Karachi's Urdu University.