India-Pakistan ties after Mumbai tragedy

India-Pakistan ties after Mumbai tragedy
16th Dec. 2008
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/12/16/letter-indiapakistan-ties-after-mumbai-tragedy.html

As a consequence of the Mumbai massacre, the relationship between India and Pakistan has now come under the microscope.
With his own wife having been killed by terrorists and looking at other acts of terrorism viz. the explosion of bombs at the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad (where he was scheduled to have dined that evening), Asif Ali Zardari's statement that the Pakistani government did not promote the Mumbai Massacre can be believed.
But the same thing can't be said of Pakistan's armed forces or its intelligence apparatus which does have rogue elements. Pakistan's military governments or civil governments have not yet been able to control these elements.
They have not been able to eliminate terrorist attacks on their own soil by their own people! How can one forget Nawaz Sharif's helplessness when he admitted he didn't know anything about the Kargil misadventure!
If Pakistan wants to have a lasting friendship with India, it must take concrete "confidence building measures," starting with the extradition of 20-odd terrorists/criminals as demanded by the Indian government. These terrorists/criminals have indulged in terroristic and criminal activities in India and India has the right to interrogate them and punish them if found guilty.
Until such steps are taken by Pakistan -- to show its genuine desire for good neighborly relations with India -- the Indian government should close down all links, road, rail and air, and withdraw easy visa provisions for Pakistani nationals.
Unless Pakistan shows a genuine change in attitude towards fighting terrorism, India should not accept Pakistan's sweet talk and stop considering it as a friendly neighbor.
Pakistan has managed to survive on money doled out to it by America under one pretext or another. While Pakistan in this condition is a nuisance to India, India will prosper all the same because it has learned to survive the hard way.
But what will Pakistan gain from such enmity?
It is high time Pakistan found out which side of the bread is buttered and made an honorable friendship with India.
K.B. KALE, Jakarta
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Post Comments | Comments (2)
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kbkale, | Wed, 22/04/2009
Dear Mr Vaidya, Are you in Indonesia or in India? If in Indonesia, pl call me on my office direct line 021-4606238 after 14th May. If in India, pl let me know your contact number on kbkale@yahoo.com
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Vikas Vaidya, | Tue, 06/01/2009 - 20:01pm
I agree with the observations made by Mr. Kale. But it will be too innocent on the part of India to assume that Pakistan will start behaving like a good boy just because India has strong evidences for its involvement in Mumbai attacks. It is the world community which has to take strong view as sooner or later this terrorism will enter their house as well. In fact whether the country is islamic or non-islamic,the threat of terrorism is same for all. It may be little easier for extremists to enter Islamic countries under the cover of religion.Progressive Islamic countries like Indonesia can play a huge role in tiding over this menace. The question is not the safety of India alone but the whole world as the US intelligence has predicted, the terrorists from Pakistan will have access to Nuclear weapons by 2013, if allowed to go unchecked.Government in Pakistan is almost non-existent. It is the Army and the ISI WHO are calling the shots.
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