Pakistan has now pulled out of peace talks with India, according to the country’s high commissioner Abdul Basit. This announcement came not long after the Pakistan
joint investigation team ‘alleged’ that India had staged the Pathankot attack in January. Incidentally, last month, Kulbhushan Yadav, a man of Indian origin was arrested in
Balochistan. India later declared that the man was a former Indian intelligence official.All this sounds a little coincidental, which brings into focus the role played by Pakistan army
general Raheel Sharif, who still controls Islamabad’s India policy. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif defers to the army man in cases like this. While pulling away from talks is not new,
the allegations that New Delhi had a hand in the Pathankot attacks is ridiculous. Even though the bilateral process has been suspended, trade talks and foreign secretary level talks may still continue, according to other officials. But after the recent comments by Pakistan, it wouldn’t be wrong for many
who opposed Narendra Modi’s extra efforts to negotiate peace
with Pakistan, to say these talks shouldn’t have happened in
the first place. India made an effort. The hawks in Pakistan did
not have the courage to reciprocate.
