US jumps in to save Pak-India peace process: by SHAFQAT ALI in The Nation, April 09, 2016

ISLAMABAD – The United States has jumped into save the ‘suspended’ Pakistan-India peace process from collapsing, officials said.
The US has been pushing Pakistan and India for talks in the recent years as the two nuclear armed neighbours always carry their complaints to Washington whenever there is a tension.
Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit said that the peace process between India and Pakistan was ‘currently suspended.’
He said that presently no meetings were scheduled between the foreign secretaries of the two countries.
Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakariya, however, said both sides were in touch and the meeting between the foreign secretaries will take place in ‘due course of time’.
Diplomatic talks were postponed after an attack on an Indian airbase in January which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-based militants. Pakistani investigators were in India recently to investigate the attack on the base in Pathankot.
Reports said that the Pakistani investigators told the government that attack might have been ‘staged’ by India.
Last month, Pakistan also said it arrested an Indian spy in Balochistan. India denied the allegations, but said the man was an Indian national and a retired naval officer.
Abdul Basit said that his country would like to have a comprehensive dialogue with New Delhi to resolve their outstanding issues and were willing to wait if India was not ready.
“As of now there is no date for the foreign secretary-level talks. I think you can state for now that the Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue is suspended. Let’s see if we can commence the process,” he said.
India’s External Affairs Ministry spokesman, quoted by the Indian media, said that the ‘countries are in contact’ to work out dates for talks between the two foreign secretaries.
A senior official at the Foreign Ministry told The Nation, Washington approached Islamabad to stop the process from suspension to a collapse.
“They have been in contact with both Islamabad and New Delhi. They have promised to play a role to bring the two sides back on table as early as possible,” he added.
The official said that the suspension of the dialogue process did not originate from Pakistan and “we are still ready for talks anytime.”
Defence analyst Dr Muhammad Khan said it was a matter of great concern for Pakistan and the entire world that India was playing a role of spoiler in the region, which was disaster for regional peace and stability.
“India portrays itself as secular and democratic country abiding by international laws. However, on ground it is involved in subversive activities in neighbouring countries,” he added.
He said that India was promoting terrorism in Pakistan and trying to destabilise Pakistan. “Pakistan should expose India in front of global community. Pakistan is trying to get rid of menace of terrorism. Our security forces have conducted successful intelligence based operations and have dismantled the strongholds of terrorists,” he said.
Analyst Dr Huma Baqai said that India was itself on the back foot after the arrest of a serving Research and Analysis Wing officer. She said it was strange India was still trying to dictate terms when its spy had confessed the involvement of RAW in subversive activities in Pakistan, adding, “Pakistan has always advocated for dialogue.”
US URGES ‘DIRECT’ PAK-INDIA DIALOGUE
Special Correspondent from Washington adds: The United States encourages Pakistan and India to “engage in direct dialogue” to “reduce tensions” between them, a State Department spokesman has said.
“We believe and it’s been our longstanding position that India and Pakistan stand to benefit from the normalisation of relations and practical cooperation, and we encourage them to do so, to engage in direct dialogue that’s aimed at reducing tensions between the two governments and two countries,” spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily press briefing on Thursday.
“We strongly support those efforts, because we believe it will lead to greater stability and peace in the region and is to the benefit of both countries,” Toner said while answering a question about remarks in New Delhi of Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit that the talks between the two countries are “suspended”.
Regarding the arrest of an Indian spy in Balochistan, Toner simply said, “I am aware of the reports about the arrest. I don’t have any details of the arrest.”
Responding to a question about Kashmir, the spokesman said the US policy on the dispute has not changed. “As we’ve long said, the pace, scope, and character of those discussions or any discussions on Kashmir must be for the two sides to determine. We support any and all positive steps that India and Pakistan can take to forge closer relations.”
About Christian woman Asia Bibi, who is in the jail for the last several years under blasphemy laws, Toner said the US remains engaged with Pakistan for her release.
“I’d just say that our stance on religious freedom around the world is well documented, obviously, in our annual Religious Freedom and Human Rights Report. We oppose blasphemy laws throughout the world. Freedom of religion is a fundamental human right. It’s something we regard as a fundamental human right. And certainly, the work of (US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom David) Saperstein is part of our regular engagement with the Government of Pakistan to advance this right.”
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