New Delhi: The reference to Balochisthan in the joint statement issued by India and Pakistan is a "self inflicted injury" as it will give a "handle" to Islamabad to put pressure on New Delhi, foreign policy experts said on Friday.
Former Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal said India has
yielded a "great deal of ground" without any "commensurate
return" from the Pakistani side as it also agreed to delink
terror from the Composite Dialogue process with Islamabad.
"We have inflicted a serious self injury by agreeing
to include Pakistan`s concerns about terrorism in Balochisthan
giving Pakistan a handle to demand explanations from us
constantly on Balochistan," Sibal told agency.
In an apparent climb-down, India yesterday dropped its
insistence on refusing to hold talks with Pakistan till those
behind the Mumbai terror attacks were punished.
A joint statement issued following talks between Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf
Raza Gilani at the Egyptian resort city of Sharm-el Sheikh
also contains a reference to "threats in Balochistan", where
Pakistan has been alleging Indian hand in terror incidents.
Another former foreign secretary Muchkund Dubey was
harsher in his criticism of India allowing the mention of
Balochisthan in the joint statement, saying it showed "total
ineptness" on part of the government.
"We have never conceded it in the past and there is no
reason why it should be conceded or allowed to be mentioned in
any way in a joint statement issued at the level of Prime
Minister," Dubey said.
"I regard it as total ineptness and kind of inability
to consult those who know about Indo-Pak relations," he said.
However, former ambassador to the United States Naresh
Chandra did not think it as a climbdown on India`s part by
agreeing to delink Composite Dialogue from terrorism or
agreeing to mention Balochisthan in the joint statement.
"No, I don`t think it is a climbdown at all. If
Pakistan thinks it is a climbdown by India, then it means they
do not have the proper spirit to carry on with the Composite
Dialogue," Chandra said.
On delinking terror from talks process, Chandra said
"it is a very good gesture and positive move from the Indian
side which shows that New Delhi has agreed to delink the two
as these things can follow differently".
Sibal said Pakistan will raise problems in
Balochisthan as a "counter-pressure" technique whenever India
raises the issue of not only Mumbai but the infrastructure of
terror in Pakistan directed against India.
He said India conceded too much concession to Pakistan
as in the last meeting with Pakistan President Asif Ali
Zardari at Yekaterinburg in Russia last month Prime Minister
had clearly said that his mandate was only to talk about
terrorism.
"Now we have advanced far ahead on that position,"
Sibal said.
Bureau Report
