tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15602189.post2568865696467544750..comments2023-09-21T16:17:51.838+05:30Comments on Law and Other Things: India's Options towards Pakistan: A Guest PostAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09348738084817273397noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15602189.post-39763177581162139842009-05-21T23:39:12.997+05:302009-05-21T23:39:12.997+05:30Suresh, just as Pakistan ought to realise that Isl...Suresh, just as Pakistan ought to realise that Islamic Fundamentalists and not India is the mortal threat facing Pakistan, India ought to realise that Islamic Fundamentalists pose a much greater threat to India than Pakistan’s conventional armed forces. <br /><br />“Yes, India could withdraw her strike corps but what happens if it does so and there is a Mumbai-like attack?”<br /><br />If there is a Mumbai-like attack, how does it help to have India’s strike corps on the Pakistan border?Winnowedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11073005581801465319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15602189.post-55713141059801694572009-05-21T13:56:49.441+05:302009-05-21T13:56:49.441+05:30Venkatesan,
1. Historically Afghanistan has been...Venkatesan,<br /><br /><br />1. Historically Afghanistan has been closer to India mainly because Afghanistan has never accepted the legitimacy of the Durand line, the British imposed border line between British India and Afghanistan. M. J. Akbar notes in his "India: The Siege Within" that when Pakistan applied to become a member of the United Nations, one country protested - Afghanistan.<br /><br />While Ayub Khan did his country well by agreeing to renegotiate the Pakistan-China part of the McMahon line, Pakistan to date refuses to renegotiate the Durand line - an intransigence similar to our refusal to accept any renegotiation of the McMahon line. As you know, the closeness between Afghanistan and Pakistan came about only during the Soviet occupation, and as we see now, it was short-lived. Pakistan, in a sense, holds the key to better relations with Afghanistan but renegotiating borders is always politically tricky and I don't think it's possible in the current scenario.<br /><br />2. Building trust when there is a long history of mutual mistrust is always problematic but in the current scenario, even more so. Yes, India could withdraw her strike corps but what happens if it does so and there is a Mumbai-like attack? Do you think any government can afford to take that risk? But given that India has its strike corps on the border, it is equally problematic for any government in Pakistan to withdraw its forces. I really don't see a way out of this conundrum. In a sense, this is reminiscent of what game theorists call "Prisoners' Dilemma" where two players acting in their own self-interest end up with an outcome which is worse for both of them.Sureshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12270071532015895732noreply@blogger.com