Modi’s Charismas Visit: A New Level of Indo-Pak Diplomacy

The Modi’s surprised landing in the Lahore on this years Charismas day is a remarkable gesture in the recent past in the bilateral relations between the India and the Pakistan. It is pertinent to mention that the Indian Prime Minister had on two day summit level meeting in the Moscow from 24^th to 25^th December and thereafter, on the same day he inaugurated the Indian made Parliament at Kabul for Afghanistan.

The Modi’s surprised visit is full of secret diplomacy. It has always been noticed in the diplomacy that keeping the backchannels active is more fruitful than reaching openly in the areas of hard contestation. The ‘secrecy’ becomes more substantive when it is done between a pro-rhetoric media glaring. Though, it is hard to digest that the Modi’s arrival in the Pakistan would not have been pre-prepared. But nevertheless, if it is to be surprised, it may be a beginning of new era in the bilateral engagements.  

The two countries have recently agreed to resume a new level of ‘Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue’, earlier known as ‘Composite Dialogue’ which involves all the bilateral issues included contested issue of Kashmir. The comprehensive bilateral dialogue is a good beginning since there was a huge pessimism emerged from the Ufa meeting in the Russia in July 2015, which ended without signaling any direct talk over the issue of Kashmir.  

The Modi’s surprised visit has both philosophical and pragmatic dimension. From philosophical point of view, Modi is well equipped in giving diplomatic surprises. Earlier to it, he invited the Pakistan’s Prime Minister at his swearing-in-ceremony in the May 2014, which had not been seen in the Indo-Pak bilateral relations. Reaching the Pakistan in such a manner, Modi might be trying to send a massage from London to Washington that India believes in peace and diplomacy.

On the other side, the visit has some pragmatic dimension as well. Not-to-engage is not a good option between the two nuclear powers. The bilateral hostile relations are at the many costs in the two countries as well as for the whole South Asian region. Modi would be aware of his economic and strategic cost of an anti-Pakistan policy.

The two countries inhabit millions of poor, malnourished, and internally dislocated people due to unabated tensions particularly along the border areas between the two countries. It is well-written and accentuated truth that the South Asian region would not see the light of real prosperity and development until and unless the New Delhi and the Islamabad reconcile on all the outstanding bilateral issues included the most sensitive issue of Kashmir.

Some recent reports have revealed that both the India and the Pakistan are pursuing a sort new weapon race, which could be very dangerous particularly in a situation of bilateral hostility. Therefore, bilateral engagement and reaching each other is an indispensable option between the Indian and the Pakistan. There is no other way to address the bilateral issues other than dialogue especially when the two contestants are nuclear powers.