pkpatriotic
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We must united against terror
Pakistan and India, at the fifth round of home secretary-level talks in Islamabad, have agreed to step up cooperation between their civilian agencies to fight terror and also other crimes including smuggling of narcotics, illegal immigration and influx of fake currency. Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), both civilian, are to work together for this.
The step is significant as the issue of cross-border terrorism is one that has repeatedly led to tensions between the two countries. Indeed, during this round of talks too, the Pakistani official led by the secretary for the interior asked India to stop playing the blame game. During the dialogue, the Indian side had asserted that India's most wanted criminal, Dawood Ibrahim, was in Pakistan. Pakistan denied this and in turn asked India for more details regarding the investigation into the Samjhota Express blast of February 2007. At least 60 people, most of them Pakistanis returning home from India, died in the incident in which an Indian army colonel has now confessed involvement. Like other incidents before it, this attack on the cross-border train too seemed to be aimed at hurting the peace process underway between the two countries. It seems likely that such attempts will continue. They are most likely to succeed in an environment of mutual distrust and suspicion, in which the two sides are unwilling to share information with each other. Most recently, India has accused Pakistan of involvement in blasts in its cities and the suicide bombing at its embassy in Kabul. Making an attempt to clear the air and ensure that acts of terrorism do not disrupt peace talks is vital at this point, when Pakistan's president has spoken on more than one occasion of a new relationship with India and of his willingness to do all he can to work towards this. He has suggested he is ready to take rapid strides forward in this direction. India's prime minister has implied his sentiments towards Pakistan are also good, although New Delhi has yet to state what its response is to Mr Zardari's proposals.
Given that there are many vested interests that would benefit from continued animosity between the two South Asian neighbours, there is every possibility that attempts may be made to sabotage the process. For these reasons the move towards establishing a setup to work together against terrorism, by forming a two-member committee comprising the additional secretaries of the two countries, is a sound one. We must hope it succeeds in its intentions. While the two sides have agreed not to point fingers at each other following terrorist incidents in the absence of evidence, there is a need also to do more. As the Pakistani side pointed out, maltreatment of prisoners and other similar incidents add to distrust. There have been several recent cases in which Pakistanis held in Indian jails were evidently mistreated. Ending such abuses will be one step towards achieving improved understanding, the news.
Pakistan and India, at the fifth round of home secretary-level talks in Islamabad, have agreed to step up cooperation between their civilian agencies to fight terror and also other crimes including smuggling of narcotics, illegal immigration and influx of fake currency. Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), both civilian, are to work together for this.
The step is significant as the issue of cross-border terrorism is one that has repeatedly led to tensions between the two countries. Indeed, during this round of talks too, the Pakistani official led by the secretary for the interior asked India to stop playing the blame game. During the dialogue, the Indian side had asserted that India's most wanted criminal, Dawood Ibrahim, was in Pakistan. Pakistan denied this and in turn asked India for more details regarding the investigation into the Samjhota Express blast of February 2007. At least 60 people, most of them Pakistanis returning home from India, died in the incident in which an Indian army colonel has now confessed involvement. Like other incidents before it, this attack on the cross-border train too seemed to be aimed at hurting the peace process underway between the two countries. It seems likely that such attempts will continue. They are most likely to succeed in an environment of mutual distrust and suspicion, in which the two sides are unwilling to share information with each other. Most recently, India has accused Pakistan of involvement in blasts in its cities and the suicide bombing at its embassy in Kabul. Making an attempt to clear the air and ensure that acts of terrorism do not disrupt peace talks is vital at this point, when Pakistan's president has spoken on more than one occasion of a new relationship with India and of his willingness to do all he can to work towards this. He has suggested he is ready to take rapid strides forward in this direction. India's prime minister has implied his sentiments towards Pakistan are also good, although New Delhi has yet to state what its response is to Mr Zardari's proposals.
Given that there are many vested interests that would benefit from continued animosity between the two South Asian neighbours, there is every possibility that attempts may be made to sabotage the process. For these reasons the move towards establishing a setup to work together against terrorism, by forming a two-member committee comprising the additional secretaries of the two countries, is a sound one. We must hope it succeeds in its intentions. While the two sides have agreed not to point fingers at each other following terrorist incidents in the absence of evidence, there is a need also to do more. As the Pakistani side pointed out, maltreatment of prisoners and other similar incidents add to distrust. There have been several recent cases in which Pakistanis held in Indian jails were evidently mistreated. Ending such abuses will be one step towards achieving improved understanding, the news.
