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Dyarchy in our neighbourhood

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By K.N. Pandita

ISI chief Shuja is in Washington meeting with his counterpart, Panetta the CIA chief. Relations between them have soured on drone issue. Kiyani, in a rare public statement of March 17, demanded US not to use drone attacks in war on terror for the reason that it kills civilians. Who allowed US air bases in Khoshab to fly the drones and shoot missiles at Al-Qaeda and Taliban targets, obviously, the Army? The US has been reminding Pakistan that it is not doing much to suppress terror in Af-Pak region. The case of Raymond Davis, the CIA contractor further damaged relations. More than thirty CIA agents working in Pakistan had to be packed up for return to home. It is getting increasingly difficult for the USA to trust Pakistan Army’s intentions of resisting the terrorists on home soil and on the border. Traditionally, Pak Army has had a clout with the Pentagon, and Pak Generals have friends, well-wishers and supporters there. But then, complex and complicated as the situation on ground is in Af-Pak, the White House does not necessarily see eye to eye with Pentagon in many aspects of relationship. The Pentagon has always come into picture whenever relations between the Pakistan Army and its civilian government are in a confrontational mood. Continue Reading…

Repairing Indo-Pak relations

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By K.N. Pandita

The semi-final at Mohali is over. It was all smiles as the Indian and Pakistani prime ministers held an impromptu mini-summit over a cricket match in Mohali, saying they would work toward achieving permanent peace between their nuclear-armed nations. The meeting — put together over the last week as their cricket teams faced off for a World Cup semifinal match — seems to have restarted efforts to restore trust after a long period of testy relations. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called Wednesday’s meeting a “good beginning,” while his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani said his country desired “good neighborly relations” and invited Singh to visit Pakistan. Whether the comments reflect a real change in diplomacy is yet to be seen. Similar overtures have fallen flat in recent decades with both sides holding deeply entrenched opposing views on key issues, including rival claims to Kashmir, where heavily armed troops remain deployed along a cease-fire line. India — still cautious after Pakistan-based militants went on a deadly terror rampage in the city of Mumbai in 2008 — says Islamabad has failed to crack down on militants on its soil.  Continue Reading…