Pakistan’s cricket team has been granted visas by India to compete in the T20 World Cup to be held in India in October this year. However, there is still no clarity over how many additional visas will be issued to allow journalists and spectators to travel. Nonetheless, considering the recent heightened tensions between the two nuclear armed countries, a complete denial from India to accommodate Pakistan’s team was very much in the cards a few months back. Thankfully, relations have somewhat normalized with both sides ceding part of their hardline positions to allow the ice to break. A meaningful ceasefire along the LoC through a meeting of both countries’ DGMOs remains intact, without any violation from either side for over a month. COAS Qamar Bajwa’s invitation to normalize ties in a speech at a security moot showed intent on Pakistan’s part and Indian PM Modi in a letter to PM Khan on the occasions of Pakistan Day was uncharacteristically welcome to the idea of friendship, calling for ‘cordial relations with the Pakistani people’.
Cricket diplomacy has worked, although partially, in attaining stability within the two countries in the past as well. During the Musharraf years, when talks were ongoing between the two countries to settle pending issues, both sides toured each other between 2005 and 2007. This sudden simmering down of tensions is the result of intervention and mediation by a common friend, the UAE, which was initially reported by foreign publication and only recently confirmed by the country’s ambassador to the US. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s ongoing 3-day visit to the UAE is therefore quite important as India will most likely be an unannounced agenda item. There are however some skeptics, which is to be expected. Two independent reports emanating from the US suggest that there could be a serious escalation between India and Pakistan soon, one going as far as to say that India would strike first. One hopes that these fresh efforts to bring two longtime foes to the negotiation table succeed with either side doing its part to avoid any misunderstandings or displays of unwarranted undiplomatic aggression.
