11 July 2015

Editorial: Can We Trust the New Dialogue Between India and Pakistan?

By Sanjay Kumar

Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif are speaking again. Is this a good development?

Dialogue triumped and there can be no substitute for dialogue. This is the only take away from the meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif. The momentum generated in May 2014, when last the two leaders shook hands, has lost its steam. Jingoism and hyper-nationalism have spoiled the atmosphere, and any budding camaraderie between the two leaders has been nipped in the bud.

However, the developments stemming from their meeting in the Russian town of Ufa this week promise a new beginning in the relationship, assuring new engagements between both the civil and military officials of the two nations in order to tackle cross-border incursions and terrorism.

Modi has also accepted Sharif’s invitation to attend next year’s summit of South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC). If that happens then the Hindu right-wing leader would be the first Indian premier in over a decade to step foot in Pakistan.

But can we trust these new initiatives?

Read the full story at The Diplomat