Can India and Pakistan find common ground? | The Manila Times

IS there any possibility of resumption of normalization between India and Pakistan in the near future? The answer to this question is quite tricky -- and a mixed one. While Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's attendance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Islamabad didn't yield any major diplomatic breakthrough, the atmosphere carried a notably different tone. The entrenched acrimony that has long colored Pakistan-India relations was, for once, softened by civility. Jaishankar's remarks on the familiar issue of "cross-border terrorism" were subdued, avoiding any direct mention of Pakistan, a departure from the usual blunt exchanges. This language suggests a restrained approach, perhaps reflecting the careful choreography of diplomacy. Significantly, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi opted out of the summit, leaving Jaishankar to represent New Delhi. The choice, while sparking intrigue, underscored India's selective diplomatic engagement strategy with its neighbor at this stage. In a region where barbed words and recriminations are common, even this limited engagement under the SCO banner offers a glimmer of pragmatism. The fact that the two nations managed this space with measured decorum, even without direct dialogue, leaves room to speculate on what quieter diplomatic maneuvers might still unfold within the bounds of multilateral forums.

Exchanging polite handshakes and expressing gratitude for Pakistan's "hospitality and courtesies," Jaishankar's interactions contrasted sharply with the frosty reception Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari encountered in Goa just a year earlier. Jaishankar's remarks on "terrorism" and "separatism," the familiar refrains in India's diplomatic language, hinted at obstacles to any genuine "friendship and good neighborliness." Yet his words were noticeably measured, void of the usual pointed accusations. This restraint opens a slim door to rethinking what productive engagement could look like between these two nuclear neighbors. While Jaishankar's rhetoric addressed India's concerns, Pakistan's grievances are also well-known: the unresolved Kashmir dispute, the treatment of Indian Muslims, and allegations of Indian interference on Pakistani soil. Any meaningful engagement between these neighbors must tackle these longstanding issues. For India, regional integration hinges on open channels with Pakistan if it is serious about reaching Eurasian markets. And Pakistan's economic challenges could find some relief in better relations with its powerful neighbor. Dismissing dialogue means sacrificing the very economic and strategic aspirations both nations envision. In this small step toward diplomacy, there lies the possibility of a cautious, albeit fragile, thaw between two historically adversarial states.