'Indo-Pak. engagement still possible'

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, NOV. 30 A scholar on India-Pakistan relations from the U.S. has made a strong case for New Delhi reassessing its policy of refusal to engage with the military establishment in Islamabad Pakistan and offered a blueprint for management of relations between the two countries through joint monitoring of borders.

Ms. Shirin Tahir-Kheli, Director, South Asia Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Borders, along with Mr. Kent L. Biringer of the Cooperative Monitoring Center, has sought to establish through a paper on ``Preventing another India-Pakistan war'' that engagement is possible, despite difficulties.

``Pakistan's current need for better relations with its larger neighbour will eventually move the dialogue process further. The role of the U.S. remains critical to this endeavour,'' says an executive summary of the paper.

The paper takes a close look at the downslide in relations in the post-Kargil period and makes a case for a new approach by both the countries to monitoring borders for defusing tension and moving forward for betterment of ties.

``Despite current difficulties, engagement between India and Pakistan is possible. The history of their relations over the past 50 years reflects their ability to surmount problems, including war, to re-engage and move forward... Political will is critical for peace between India and Pakistan'', according to the paper.

The paper is based on the premise that conflict is most often a result of border problems and given the additional nuclear element in any future conflict, the management of border issues become urgent. The approach suggested by the authors allows for a joint application of monitoring technology to serve as a catalyst and accelerate the process of achieving political agreements.

The paper says technology might offer a measure of comfort where suspicion and doubt run high, as is the case in the subcontinent on border-related issues. The border regions include, from north to south, the Siachin Glacier area, the Line of Control and the `working boundary' in the Kashmir area, the international border along the main body of the Indo-Pakistan border, the Sir Creek area and the maritime boundary, which extends into the Arabian Sea. In the Siachin Glacier area, joint aerial monitoring missions might be possible for remote areas. Declarations and notifications supplemented with periodic inspections of deployment locations could reassure both countries that troops are not present. Radars mounted near critical peaks or passes could also detect ground or aerial activities. The area has been proposed as a location for a bilateral scientific research centre, similar to the existing centres in the Antarctica.

On the `working boundary' and the LOC, the paper says the terrain is less rugged and more suitable for deployment of ground-based monitoring systems. Building confidence in this portion of the boundary could begin with discussions among military commanders. Portions of existing fences built by India could be used for conducting joint experiments or instrumented border monitoring.

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