In a historic move covered by the Financial Times, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the Pakistani Chief of Army Staff, has agreed to involve the country in peace talks with India in order to devise meetings between both countries’ Prime Ministers.
These talks are to include crucial discussions on the state of Kashmir, the Himalayas and other territories which have been in dispute between the two nations since partition. Since their respective independence from the Crown, Pakistan and India have been involved in at least three major-scale conflicts. Any change to this hard-coded tension would alter the course of South Asian harmony for the better.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan of the UAE is spearheading these talks, arbitrating the matter along with his national security adviser, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan. Both gentlemen secured great success leading up to this agreement between the two nations when a ceasefire occurred on the 25th of February.
“Senior-level dialogue,” according to an individual with first-hand knowledge on the matter, is indeed currently going on. All of this, “in preparation for a potential meeting between Modi and Khan.”
Neither parties are being explicitly PR-friendly with regards to these talks. The Indian external affairs ministry has declined to comment on the matter, and the Pakistani military PR arm has denied any speculation that a moratorium on hostilities will occur. “It’s a pack of lies.”
In the past, Indian government officials have expressed concern about the trustworthiness of Pakistani officials. “[Pakistan] wants to keep Kashmir on the backburner…but if there is a [terrorist] attack, this will fail.”
Only time will tell if the Khan-Modi talks proceed successfully, sans any conflict.
