Indo Pak Parleys

Probably it is due to Gen. Kiyani’s recent candid assertion to the NATO commanders that his prime concern was defence of Pakistan’s eastern borders (against India) rather than fighting the war of terror on the western front, that has prompted the international community in pressurising India to resume talks with Pakistan. Pakistan must, therefore, view the Indian offer in its correct perspective and not fall a prey to it. We certainly want better relations with India but not at the cost of Kashmir and Water. India would try to talk as usual all about the sun and the moon but not of Kashmir and Water, exasperating and frustrating Pakistan to the extent of quitting the talks. No one today is more shrewd than ZAB in the foreign diplomacy, but even he could not make Swaran Singh utter a single word on  Kashmir in his 22 days long  parleys in Murree in May/June 1965. At the end of the unsuccess ful marathon Swaran Singh triumphantly confided to the pressmen that his sole aim  was to gain time which he had done.  So did Shastri to Ayub Khan at Tashkent, and made him  walk away from the talks just out of frustration as Shastri wouldn’t talk about Kashmir. Kosygin sensing the abrupt deadlock asked Ayub if he was a chess player. Ayub, sort of nonplussed by such a question, said, “no, why?”. “Because it is his (Shastri’s) move and that you must sit at the table till he moved”, was Kosygin’s cool reply. Ayub resumed his seat but was mercifully relieved when Shastri left to meet his Maker. Gandhi kept on talking for hours on end on cabbage to a bewildered Mountbatten, who had invited him for the first time for a serious discussion on the future of India. Indians are past masters in the art of frustrating others during parleys and talks, and we must, therefore, make it quite clear to them that we want to ta lk but about Kashmir and Water or else Thank You for the off! er.

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)