Foreign minister bats with caution on Pakistan ties
NEW DELHI — India’s Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid had come prepared for this interaction after a long day of meetings. He looked every bit a veteran and sounded confident when going into details of the delicate art of diplomacy, not once seeking assistance from officials.
Published: Sun 4 Nov 2012, 8:40 PM
Last updated: Thu 21 May 2020, 12:54 PM
“I have hit the ground running, I’m still learning. The first three days in the job have gone off well,’’ he said with a smile.
He was speaking after chairing the meeting of the council of ministers of the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation.
Without delay, rocky ties, or lack of a steady relationship with Pakistan came up for discussion and Khurshid tackled it head on with a straight face. He was firm, yet was willing to be accommodative to the neighbour for the benefit of the region. However, he wasn’t willing to let bygones be bygones. The 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, which were blamed on Pakistan, are still fresh on the minds of many Indians. Cricket is just a diversion, he seemed to suggest, referring to the revival of ties between the two countries.
Diplomatic hardliner? Early to say. On second thoughts, he looked like was playing with caution, head down, not going for his shots, and bat held close to the body.
“Aloofness was necessary and that aloofness was shown by our cricket bodies,’’ he said of the T-20 and one-day matches between the two countries in India in December. If they, in their assessment have come to a conclusion that there is now time to open a window, I think we should respect their decision, the minister said.
Khurshid, however, said the decision by the home ministry could always be reversed after review.
“It is always possible to review any decision we take. This is not a permanent or irreversible decision (the Indian cricket board has taken).” He sought action and not just promises from Pakistan. “They have to act on frequently indicated promises of action,’’ against those responsible for the Mumbai attacks. ‘’There is no dilution of our demands and expectations.’’
The minister then struck a conciliatory tone and said, “My understanding of dealing with difficult situations and neighbours has been that we do put aside some issues on which there isn’t immediate resolution, and we continue with those issues on which consensually it is possible to improve relations.’’
Meanwhile, Indian home ministry officials said 5,000 single city visas would be granted to Pakistani spectators to watch the matches.
Requests for other matches would be decided on a case-to-case basis.
allan@khaleejtimes.com
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