“Thanks, but no thanks”

India told Pakistan, “thanks, but no thanks” for the joint investigation of the terror suspects now hiding in their country. The initial reaction of President Asif Ali Zardari was genuine and people in India knew this, but within a few hours he reversed his statement of sending the chief of ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence), Lieutenant-General Ahmad Shuja Pasha to Delhi. The top-brass of the Pakistani Army leaned on Zardari to backtrack his earlier statement offering full co-operation to India. This instinctive slip of diplomacy destroyed whatever little trust the world had in the new President of Pakistan. India and the rest of the world knew immediately that the ISI was in some ways involved in the Bombay terror attacks and that Pakistani Army was aware of the fact. This would eventually prove to be the most expensive blunder Pakistan has made since the break-up of Bangladesh in 1971. Just THINK about it!

During the last few years, relations between India and Pakistan were improving. Slowly but deliberately, Indians were beginning to give the benefit of doubt to Pakistani people. Artists, performers and cricketers were getting jobs and assignments in India. When Pakistan got into serious financial trouble just a few months back, Indians were contemplating a rescue package for their neighbors. It took 60 plus years to bring some thaw to the largely frozen bilateral relationship. Then came the Kabul bombing of the Indian Embassy and a possible complicity of the much despised ISI of Pakistan. Indians were not ready to blame Pakistanis immediately and were trying to isolate ISI as a rogue organization. Meanwhile President Asif Ali Zardari was making friendly gestures towards India and Indians were eager to find some excuse to embrace the much isolated Pakistan. 26/11 destroyed everything!

What destroyed the trust was not that the Bombay terrorists came from Pakistan or that ISI and Pakistani Military was covertly involved in the operation. Indians were speechless when President Zardari reversed his commitments and appeared on ‘Larry King’ at CNN to defend his position. The world saw an impotent civilian leadership in Pakistan and another possible Military coupe in offing. The worst moment was when ordinary Pakistanis and their media turned nationalistic and tried to justify their government. My personal feeling is every Indian feels stabbed in the back by a neighbor whom he or she was trying to include in the mainstream of a large and generous Indian family. It is highly unlikely that India would try a military strike against Pakistan as that would achieve nothing. What India can do and will do is to choke Pakistan diplomatically and economically. India would use its growing financial muscle! America will stand with India, China and Saudi Arabia would abstain!