Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has denied categorically what so many had been speculating knowingly about: that India and Pakistan had been engaging on a number of issues, using backchannels, with third countries mediating. The UAE Foreign Minister, with whom Mr Qureshi had held talks on his recent visit there, had recently come out with a forthright statement that the UAE was facilitating these backchannel talks. The UAE Foreign Minister’s claim was seen as explaining the numerous signs of a thawing of relations, starting from the LoC ceasefire agreement and down to the exchange of good wishes between the two PMs on the occasion of Pakistan’s Republic Day.
The goodwill almost extended to a reopening of trade, as Pakistan decided to import cotton and sugar from India, but then reversed the decision the next day, as certain quarters felt that the pace was too fast. There seemed to be something of a reopening, with Prime Minister Imran Khan offering India, which is going through a massive Covid-19 crisis, with almost daily records being set of new cases and deaths, help. Interestingly, Mr Qureshi also tweeted an offer of help.
It is almost as if Mr Qureshi, who was one of those who had opposed the reopening of trade, has made amends by his statement about backchannel talks, for an offer that seems prompted more by his heart than his head.
Pakistan has to deal with a neighbour that is both committing brutalities upon the Kashmiri people, and dealing with its worst public health crisis since the influenza epidemic years ago. For solid dealings, a clear line is required. The reversals and flip flops that are being witnessed may make certain quarters satisfied, but they do not develop confidence among the intended interlocutors. Two of three parties in the backchannel talks have spoken, one of the principals, and the mediator, and they have contradicted each other. It now remains only for the Indian Foreign Minister to make a claim. But he should not expect to be believed when he speaks, because one of his counterparts will be contradicting him .Pakistani diplomacy finds itself challenged perhaps as never before, and must carry itself through the whole situation, where it will find that it has to deal with those who must strike a deal, but who have invested so much in a hawkish posture, like the BJP government.
