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Arabian Post
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Arabian Post
Dialogue, Dialogue And Only Dialogue Can Teach Pakistan Right Lessons
By Nitya Chakraborty More than a month after the pause of India's Operation Sindoor on May 10 at 5 PM, time has come to state it in candid terms that our Prime Minister's doctrine of New Normal in respect of relations with Pakistan has failed to convince the major global powers. While strongly defending India in its fight against the terror inspired by Islamabad, the major countries are in favour of bilateral talks to discuss the thorny issues including terror which led to the four day limited war. The seven all party parliamentary delegations which visited more than 30 countries are back after their interactions with the government leaders, parliament members and Indian diaspora. Officially, they might have expressed their opinion about getting big response to the Indian stand on fighting terror, but they are equally mum on the response they got on the two important components of new Modi doctrine- no dialogue with Pakistan at this stage and any terrorist action inside India will be followed by Indian attack on Pakistan. South Block has organized post visit favourable propaganda by the participants, but the hard ground reality is that the Pakistan delegation led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari made far more impact during their discussions in United Nations headquarters, with U.S. Government officials as also in London at the meeting with the British think tanks as also Parliamentarians. Indian delegation led by Shashi Tharoor of impeccable diplomatic skills was in Washington and New York at the same time with Bilawal. Tharoor had a meeting with the US vice president J D Vance, but the Congress MP did not give any details of what Vance said about the present situation in India-Pak relations and how to go about it. In fact Vance was the person who spoke to the Indian Prime Minister on May 9 on behalf of President Trump and conveyed the strong message of the U.S. President. Only PM Modi can come out with the details of May 9 talks with Vance to prove that Trump was wrong in claiming that he organized the 'full and permanent' ceasefire which Narendra Modi termed as pause. That Shashi Tharoor's efforts to market the Prime Minister's doctrine to the Oval office and the White House was a flop is evident from the fact that the commander of the US central command General Michael Kurilla described Pakistan as a phenomenal partner in the counterterrorism world crediting Islamabad with a series of successful operations against ISIS-Khorasan and advocating for continued US engagement with Pakistan and India. Just imagine the tenor of the speech of this General. This is putting Pakistan above India as a partner in the fight against terror. That is also at a time when India is complaining that Pakistan regime is still backing the terrorists to operate in the Indian soil. General Kurilla also referred to the heavy toll that terrorism has taken on Pakistan itself, noting that in the beginning of 2024, Pakistan had over 1,000 terrorist attacks in the western area, killing about 700 security personnel and civilians apart from 2500 wounded. He also highly praised the present Field Marshall and Chief of Staff Asim Munir who, Indians say, played a key role in attacks on India by Pak backed terrorists. General Kurilla's is the latest official version of the Trump administration on the current state of India-Pakistan relations. This US position India has to swallow as the Prime Minister Narendra Modi reshaped his foreign policy after coming to power in 2014 and it took a sharper turn during the first term of Donald Trump. Now, where is the escape route? How is the Indian PM going to deal with his dear friend Donald if they happen to meet in Alberta, Canada during G-7 summit beginning June 15. It is not a coincidence that the same day General Kurilla was testifying in Washington, Bilawal Bhutto was addressing a meeting of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London and talked about the same issue about terrorist attacks in Pakistan mentioned by the US general. 'The delegation I lead has been given a mission of peace,' he declared at IISS. 'We are advocating to the international community to play their role in encouraging a dialogue, a comprehensive dialogue between India and Pakistan, where Pakistan is ready to talk about all issues.' He explained, 'As it stands today, if there's a terrorist attack anywhere in India, proof or no proof, we go to war. That is the de facto position of the new abnormal that India is trying to impose on the region. The equivalence would mean that if there's a terrorist attack in Pakistan, we have to go to war with India. That is a very untenable situation to be in.' He went on to say that Narendra Modi's new doctrine is 'lowering the threshold for conflict, a potentially nuclear armed conflict'. He suggested the issues between the two nations can 'only be solved by dialogue'. Pakistan leaders including Bilawal Bhutto can not be trusted on the basis of what they say. But in international politics and diplomacy, dialogue and negotiations are the buzzword for bringing two contending sides to the negotiating table. Narendra Modi himself told President Putin relating to Ukraine war that this was not the time for war. He was speaking the truth. US secretary Marco Rubio has told the Pakistani side that the U.S. will persuade India to participate in bilateral talks in a neutral venue. He must have told that to Indian external affairs minister Dr. S. Jaishankar also. China and Russian leaders are also suggesting bilateral talks. India should on its own agree to the dialogue with Pakistan rather than be persuaded by others like the U.S. to take part. India has nothing to lose by agreeing to bilateral talks. The Indian delegation may forcefully demand the actions which it wanted to be taken by the Pak government. India can send that list and proposed actions to the US and other countries. India is better placed militarily and morally. Why then give advantage to Islamabad to project itself as a seeker of dialogue and peace? India can be a darling of global diplomatic community again if it seizes this opportunity. (IPA Service)
News18
23-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
Who Is Bangladesh Army Chief Zaman Going After Yunus? Hasina's Kin Who Delhi Had Warned Her Against
Last Updated: The friction between the civilian government of Mohammad Yunus and General Waker-Uz-Zaman's Army has become so apparent that Yunus's resignation is being discussed openly in Dhaka When General Waker-Uz-Zaman was about to be appointed as Bangladesh's Army Chief, Indian intelligence agencies had alerted South Block to caution Dhaka, said top sources in the Awami League, whose senior-most leadership is now living in exile. When cautions were disregarded, top sources in the Awami League said that a senior official of the government of India had contacted then Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina, advising against Zaman's appointment, as India had reasons to believe he may be pro-Pakistan. Hasina thanked the official for their concern and the conversation ended. 'The objection was on two counts. One, on technical grounds as Zaman wasn't in his best health then. Two better candidates were overlooked, New Delhi had pointed out. The second point was strategic as Zaman was pro-Pakistan. However, it seems Waker-Uz-Zaman finally got the post because he was related to Sheikh Hasina," Bangladeshi journalist Shahidul Hasan Khokon told News18. While serving as the Principal Staff Officer at the Armed Forces Division under the Prime Minister's Office, Zaman caught Hasina's attention, so much so, she felt it was okay to trust her gut feeling over intelligence from Bangladesh's closest ally back then — India. Days into his role as Bangladesh's Army Chief, he faced a student-led uprising — the defining moment of Hasina's political career. The uprising that started against reservation ended up being a manifestation of anger, which now appears to have been manufactured to a great extent. Appointed by Hasina just 22 days before, on June 23, 2024, Zaman was key in the change of power, which New Delhi had envisioned. On August 5, 2024, as protests escalated and the situation in Dhaka became untenable, Zaman addressed the nation via a televised broadcast. He announced that Hasina had resigned and fled the country, reportedly to India, and declared the formation of an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to restore order and oversee a democratic transition. Dhaka erupted in violent jubilations. Moreover, Waker is married to Begum Sarahnaz Kamalika Rahman, the eldest daughter of late General Mustafizur Rahman, and the couple has two daughters. Sarahnaz's father General Mustafizur Rahman, was the former chief of army staff from December 24, 1997 to December 23, 2000. Hasina is a distant aunt of Sarahnaz. THE FRICTION BETWEEN YUNUS & ZAMAN Cut to May 2025, the friction between the civilian government of Yunus and Zaman's Army has become so apparent that Yunus's resignation is being discussed openly in Dhaka. The Daily Star, one of the independent news dailies of Bangladesh, wrote, 'Frustrated over recent developments, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus is considering stepping down, said sources familiar with what went down at the Chief Adviser's Office and Jamuna yesterday." The daily added that during the advisory council meeting, Yunus voiced his desire to resign and address the nation through a televised speech. National Citizen Party Convener Nahid Islam, who is tipped to succeed Yunus, told BBC Bangla in an interview that the chief adviser was weighing resignation. While demonstrations are going on in Bangladesh over myriad demands, including, most recently, to ban the Awami League, the Army Chief has his own reasons for frustration. Nearly 300 mutineers, who were convicted in a court of law for murdering 57 army officers and 16 others during a bloody uprising in February 2009, have been released so far this year under Yunus's watch. Ansarullah Bangla Team chief Jashimuddin Rahmani is seen as a contributor to a militant Bangladesh of tomorrow, which any professional army would like to avoid. But what has irked the army most is probably US intervention. They see it as a sovereignty issue, something Hasina mentioned while talking about St Martins Island. Yunus's military adviser General Kamrul Hassan met with US Chargé d'Affaires Tracey Ann Jacobson, which is seen by Zaman as an effort to replace him using the US support. To say Zaman is out to oust Yunus may still be premature. But to say he wants him to go? Definitely. When an Army Chief tells a nation about a foreign hand deciding internal matters, he is likely to have public support with him. tags : bangladesh news18 specials Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: May 23, 2025, 15:07 IST News india Who Is Bangladesh Army Chief Zaman Going After Yunus? Hasina's Kin Who Delhi Had Warned Her Against
The Hindu
16-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
India to make a ‘bold move' on Afghanistan
A day after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held a telephone conversation with the 'acting Afghan Foreign Minister,' Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, officials in New Delhi asserted that India will undertake 'bold moves' on Afghanistan and 'do whatever is necessary' in the near future to establish stronger relations with the Taliban-ruled state. As part of that process, South Block will consider the possibility of extending humanitarian assistance to Afghan refugees who have been forcefully repatriated by Pakistan. On Thursday (May 15, 2025), Mr. Jaishankar, in his conversation with Mr. Muttaqi, had indicated that India will also deepen direct humanitarian support to Afghanistan, which has been under Taliban rule since August 2021. Sources informed that some of the requirements of the Taliban administration had been under consideration in India and that Mr. Muttaqi had raised Afghanistan's requirements with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri when the two met in Dubai on January 8, 2025. The Government of Pakistan, earlier this year under its 'Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan', repatriated 80,000 Afghans who were living in various locations in Pakistan, and the process is expected to continue. The expulsion of Afghans who have been living in Pakistan for decades has emerged as a major issue between Kabul and Islamabad, as Pakistan has instructed all provinces that 'illegal foreigners' should not be given houses or shops on rent in any part of the country. Officials in New Delhi said that short of formal recognition, India will make a 'bold move' on Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and that New Delhi attached a 'lot of significance' to the Jaishankar-Muttaqi conversation, as it came in the backdrop of Mr. Muttaqi's upcoming visit to Iran and China next week. Mr. Muttaqi and Mr. Jaishankar had discussed cooperation with the Taliban to take advantage of the Chabahar port in Iran, which is acquiring greater importance as India has banned trade through the Pakistan border. India had cleared 160 Afghan trucks carrying dry fruits and nuts through Attari, but these vehicles remained stranded on the Pakistani side until Friday, when Pakistan allowed them to enter India. The Taliban has described Mr. Muttaqi's upcoming multi-nation visit as part of Afghanistan's 'active foreign policy,' which has been shaping Kabul's 'balanced' posture in South Asia. Officials in New Delhi indicated that India is willing to do 'whatever is necessary' regarding the Taliban in the present context, which has been described as a 'new normal' by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). India had friendly ties with the Afghanistan's government of President Ashraf Ghani which was overthrown by the Taliban in a swift military advance in August 2021. Upon the overthrow of the Ghani government, India had withdrawn officials from its embassy in Kabul and evacuated its missions in Kandahar and Mazar-e-Sharif. However, over the last two years, New Delhi has steadily increased exchanges with Taliban representatives. Since 2021, India has sent 50,000 tonnes of wheat, 350 tonnes of medicines, 40,000 litres of Malathion fertiliser, and 28 tonnes of relief material to Afghanistan, including aid sent after the 2023 Herat earthquake. Despite the growing interactions, India has not granted the Taliban formal recognition, mainly because of the Taliban's human rights record, particularly concerning the continued closure of schools for girls and restrictions preventing women from returning to government jobs. While India has gradually allowed Taliban-appointed individuals to take over Afghan missions in Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad, India's consular work in Afghanistan also continues to remain below its full potential, as India has not reopened its consulates in Kandahar and Mazar-e-Sharif, and the embassy in Kabul is being led by a technical team which took charge of the mission on June 23, 2022. Sources in New Delhi described Mr. Muttaqi's phone call to Mr. Jaishankar as 'bold posturing' by Kabul, as it was preceded by the Taliban's strong condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22 and the outfit's growing confilct with Pakistan. Mr. Jaishankar and Mr. Muttaqi have agreed to stay in touch, and it is understood that several upgrades in the bilateral realm may follow in the near future.
