A win for both sides

Pakistan and India relations have always blown more hot than cold. While regional prosperity has often been linked to higher utilisation of Safta, exchange of barbs, threats and crossfire has made the trade bloc redundant.

Kudos to the PTI government for holding out olive branches, repeatedly. That they have been turned down, repeatedly, is lamentable. India is developing a pattern for appearing to accept Pakistan’s overtures only to use LoC as an excuse to go back on their word.

Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur is one of the holiest places in Sikhism. It is believed to have built on the site where Guru Nanak, founder of the religion, died in the 16 century. The Kartarpur corridor is due to become operational next year, in time for the celebrations of Guru Nanak’s 550th birthday. Unable to access the site, currently Sikhs in India pay tribute by viewing the gurdwara through binoculars. Thus the visa-free Kartarpur corridor is hailed with great gusto by Sikhs.

The ground breaking ceremony of the corridor has taken place, without the attendance of Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Suraj who was unable to travel to Pakistan due to “prior commitments”. Instead a hodge podge group of federal and provincial ministers was in attendance. In response to the invitation, a statement was issued by Suraj that peace talks cannot be held as Pakistan supports “terrorist activities”. A nice response to peace building overtures by Pakistan.

Furthermore, Karatarpur corridor is being stylized as an Indian victory, not a confidence building measure by Pakistan. India is posturing that it is their repeated attempts to open the corridor that pressurized Pakistan into accepting. In fact, Khan was criticized for “politicizing” the event by mentioning Kashmir though his words were in the spirit of peace, requesting a civilized relationship.

Since the Indian general elections are slated for May 2019, ruling party BJP needs the Sikh vote. Denying them an opportunity to market Guru Nanak’s 550 birth anniversary when Pakistan is offering to open the route would alienate millions of Sikhs. While domestic politics necessitate support for the corridor, it does not appear to be likely that BJP will use this opportunity to open dialogue.

While overtures for talks were being made on one hand, alleged RAW involvement in the Chinese consulate attack was also making the rounds. Though it may very well be true, it diluted the message of mending fences.

However, showing demonstrable attempts to build peace building measures with India is in Pakistan’s interests. It projects the country’s soft image and puts India in the wrong especially since they refused to accept the invitation to attend the Saarc Summit to be held in Islamabad.

Given the media attention given to Pakistan by India, it is safe to say that anti-Pakistan sentiments in India are a lot stronger than anti-India sentiment in Pakistan. Modi’s Hindu nationalistic vote bank would not appreciate peace measures especially during the election run-up. PTI’s vote bank and the general population in Pakistan however stand behind these overtures. So while Kartarpur may not play a major role in international politics, it’s a win for both sides in domestic politics.