Obama’s Visit: Does it help to Break Impasse in the Indo-Pak relation

The American President Barak Hussain Obama is visiting India on its Republic Day as a Chief Guest. This will be first time that any US president is visiting the New Delhi on the 26^th January and more significantly he will be the first US president to visit the India twice during his tenure as president in the White House. Before leaving to the New Delhi the United States has warned the Pakistan to carry out any terror strike in the India during the visit of their president. This may not be the first time that the US is warning his only non-NATO ally in the region but, what makes it more interesting is the fact that the US has warned Pakistan publically that too when its President is visiting to the region.

The visit of the US president is limited to the New Delhi and he will not be crossing the Pakistan. There were some reports that President Obama has spoke on telephone about his visit to the India with the Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief and it has also been reported that Nawaz Sharief might have told US president to travel Pakistan too, but answer was next time. This de-hyphenation policy (constructing a relationship with the India and the Pakistan separately on the basis of merit), has not marked any big breakthrough in resolving the Indo-Pak rivalry. The de-hyphenation policy was adopted by the George W. Bush when he came in office in 2001 as a break from a long US policy of looking on the region through Indo-Pak stalemate.

The USA has also told Pakistan to handover Zakir-ul-Rehman Lakvi, an indicted man on Mumbai terror attack in 2011 to the India. What makes the US this time to take directly on Pakistan on the issue of terrorism vis-à-vis Indian security concerns? The US Secretary of State some days before was in Pakistan, where he did talk about that “US-Pakistan relation goes beyond the terrorism.” He also reiterated that the USA will be with the Pakistan on the issue of terror which has recently stroked the Peshaver School. While in Pakistan US Secretary of State did not use tough words against the Pakistan.

Now the US President is travelling to the India and at the same time US has directly take on Pakistan on the issues which India has been asking for. The US President has eye on some good deals with the India during his three days visit. The US is eager to get through the Indian Nuclear Liability Law of 2010 which imposes some tough condition for selling nuclear reactors to the India on the issue of future nuclear accident. This act is big obstruction to the implementation of famous 2005 nuclear deal. The US has certain objections with regard to the provisions of section 17 (b) and 46 of this law which imposes unlimited liability and operator’s right of recourse on supplier’s incase of future nuclear accident.

The USA is also intended to ask India for its cooperation against the war on ISIL in the West Asia. The US also needs India on its policy of ‘Asia Pivot’, which is broadly about rebalancing and a counter measure against the Chinese growing assertiveness in the Asia Pacific region. The US used to call India as ‘lynchpin’ of this new policy. Other than these issues India is also very important on the issues related to the trade and commerce in the WTO and climate negotiation.

On the other side India too is expecting big breakthrough on the issues of transferring cutting-edge defense technology, co-development and co-production of weapons and equipments, liberalization of visa policy with regard to H1B1 etc.

Sidelining the Pakistan in the region may not be helpful in resolution of the conflicts in the region particularly the Indo-Pak disputes. The existence of so called terrorist groups in Pakistan is not their creation; it is again the United States which nurtured these groups in the region against the Soviet Communism. Therefore, accusing and alienating Pakistan on the terror issue is not a right way to confront this menace in the region. The recent Council on Foreign Relations special report No. 68 suggests that the USA should integrate the Pakistan into broader US policies in the Asia. Therefore, the US is here to address their interest as always used to be and de-hyphenating the two rival countries in the region will encourage those groups which are against the peace and stability in the region.