Chaos Inside Crisis Outside
Context:
- It was recently revealed that Prime Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari of Pakistan would be traveling to India.
History of India-Pakistan Relations:
- India and Pakistan’s relations are tense.
- Here is a brief timeline of the interactions between the two nations:
- The Shimla Agreement, which Pakistan and India signed in 1976, stated that India would return all Pakistani personnel (more than 90,000) and territory in the west and that the two countries would “settle their differences by peaceful means through bilateral negotiations.” Diplomatic and trade relations were also restored after this agreement.
- Between 2004 and 2008, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh oversaw the India-Pakistan Composite Dialogue, which resulted in the resolution of all outstanding issues. However, it was suspended following the terrorist attack in Mumbai in November 2008.
- In 2011, relations between the two nations were restored on a variety of subjects, including:
Counterterrorism and humanitarian issues:
Financial worries at Commerce:
- at the level of the Secretary of Water Resources, the Tulbul Navigation Project.
Siachen at the Defence Secretary’s level:
- Confidence-building measures (CBMs) are a part of achieving peace and security.
Jammu and Kashmir:
- Encouragement of Peaceful Interactions amongst Foreign Secretaries.
- 2005 saw the start of travel over the LoC, and 2009 saw the start of trade between J&K.
- The bilateral visa policies of the two countries have been loosened as a result of a visa agreement that was concluded in 2012.
Changes in India-Pakistan Relations Recently:
- Jammu and Kashmir was given a special status under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which was repealed in 2019. Bilateral relations suffered greatly as a result of this. After that, Pakistan suspended all air, land, commercial, and train ties with India and dismissed the Indian High Commissioner from Islamabad.
- As of 2019, Pakistan is no longer considered India’s Most Favoured Nation.
- The Kartarpur Corridor Agreement, which was signed by India and Pakistan on October 24th, will make it simpler for pilgrims to travel to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Pakistan. This meets the pilgrims’ long-standing request for easy access to the holy Gurudwara.
- The revered Gurudwara in Pakistan is accessible to Indian pilgrims and owners of Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cards from India everyday and throughout the year without a visa thanks to the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor Agreement, among other things.
- The single encouraging development occurred in February 2021, when the crucial cease-fire agreement along the Line of Control (LoC) was reactivated.
Relations between Pakistan and India:
- Kashmir Issue: The Kashmir issue has become significantly more complicated since Article 370 was eliminated.
- Sir Creek: Due to disagreements over the definition of the boundaries and claims by both nations that the area has underground gas deposits, the conflict over Sir Creek in Gujarat’s Rann of Kutch region remains unsolved.
- The rivers that flow from India into Pakistan are subject to regulations set forth under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty. Diplomatic resolution to the Nimoo Bazgo Project has been reached. The Dulhasti project and Kishanganga are two present troubling circumstances.
- The ban of cross-border trade has resulted in high prices for various items, especially dried fruits, in India. Pakistan is in a similar position in regards to Indian goods.
- There hasn’t been much cross-border mobility, which has made interpersonal relationships between people worse.
- Cross-Border Terrorism, Drug and Weapon Smuggling: Pakistan’s use of cross-border terrorism and the Golden Crescent issue in the area of India have been the dividing lines in ties.
How to Proceed:
- Respect agreements: The Simla Agreement of 1972 and the Lahore Declaration of 1999 must both be adhered to if the Kashmir issue is to be resolved bilaterally.
- Collaboration: The implementation of dialogue and confidence-building strategies (CBM) on a worldwide scale is crucial.
- Consensus against Terrorism: Pakistan should take stern action against anti-Indian groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad in order to inspire trust.
- Technology: To stop cross-border terrorism and smuggling, the border should be monitored by drones and other equipment.
- Consider all options: The best course of action is to use Track 2 diplomacy and a strong political commitment to mending ties.
Conclusion:
- Relations between Pakistan and India will improve once Pakistan makes an effort to combat terrorism and stops using it as a tool in its foreign and security strategy. The world community must keep putting pressure on Pakistan to alter its policies, and India must continue to pursue a diplomatic road of discussion through Track 2.
