After close to two and a half years, Pakistan and India have made efforts to normalize diplomatic ties by reportedly granting each other a large number of assignment visas in recent weeks. Indo-Pak ties quickly and dangerously deteriorated following an attack on a paramilitary police convoy in Pulwama, Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) back in 2019, as India resorted to carrying out an airstrike in Balakot that was intercepted by Pakistan Air Force, which shot down an Indian MiG 21 and capture its pilot who was returned as a goodwill gesture within days. These incidents, that could have easily spiraled out of control leading to an all-out war, were preceded by India’s abrogation of article 370 of its constitution, revoking Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. A severe uptick in firing along the Line of Control (LoC) ensued for more than a year claiming lives of civilians and soldiers on both sides. Thankfully an enforceable ceasefire agreement was reached in February of last year, bringing about a significant drop in violence along the LoC. Last year there were also reports of backchannel talks between senior leadership of both countries brokered by the UAE as well. While it remains unclear as to whether or not this resumption in diplomatic ties is a result of those negotiations, a war of words between the two, either through mainstream and social media or at international forums, continues unabated. An effort to restart trade, a proposal supposedly a result of the same talks, was shot down by the federal cabinet members who maintained that it directly contradicted their stance on Kashmir.
Thawing diplomatic relations are a very welcome development as it opens up lines of formal communication, a convention that even the worst of enemies follow, especially ones that are nuclear powers. It is important that this resumption of diplomatic relations moves towards betterment and more normalcy, eventually allowing high commissioners, who were recalled in 2019 following the change to Kashmir’s special status, to take charge in either country once again. However, Pakistan has to maintain its principled stance on Kashmir and continue to raise awareness over the gross human rights violations that the people of IOK continue to face. It is possible for a country to maintain working diplomatic relations while disagreeing and commenting on the policies of another country that affect it.
