NO escalation, no increase in tensions desired and no warmongering — the message from DG ISPR Lt-Gen Asim Bajwa from the Line of Control was both clear and welcome. The combination of the Uri attacks and Indian claims of so-called surgical strikes had raised the spectre of escalating violence across the LoC and the Working Boundary and the frightening possibility of conflict spreading beyond the disputed Kashmir region. While the facts about both the Uri attack and the Indian claims of strikes across the LoC have yet to be established, the leaderships of the two countries do appear to be aware of the dangers of brinkmanship in an overheated political environment. Of course, far more sensible and a great deal more welcome would have been if the Uri attack had not precipitated over-the-top rhetoric by India, and, instead, diplomatic channels had been activated to ascertain the facts as quickly as possible. Nevertheless, the belated onset of good sense by India and Pakistan’s measured, restrained response throughout suggest that bilateral tensions may soon subside from the present acutely and unacceptably high level.
Surely, however, if tensions are to subside and Pakistan and India find a way to address each other’s concerns through diplomatic dialogue, the political leaderships of the two countries need to re-examine their conduct. On the Pakistani side, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the PML-N government have been virtually invisible at a time of serious Pak-India tensions. Yes, there was a cabinet meeting and the government has issued several statements, but none of the national security forums that are within the civilian ambit have been activated and the prime minister himself has kept a remarkably low profile. Being anonymous in a time of crisis will make it that much harder for the government to bring to bear its influence on foreign policy and national security. Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi needs to reconsider his approach of ignoring altogether the elected government in Pakistan. Whatever Mr Modi may believe, it serves neither country’s interests when an elected government is progressively shunned by a myopic leadership on the other side.http://www.dawn.com/news/1287563/defusing-tensions
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