An open letter to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari

Posted by Shyam Moondra

I am appalled at how bad things have gotten between Pakistan and India. It's hard to believe that Pakistan and India used to be one country not long ago and now they are arch-enemies.

The state of affairs is very negative for both Pakistan and India, more so for Pakistan than India. In the era of intense global competition, Pakistan and India will fare much better if they stop this destructive animosity and mistrust.

I blame Pakistan more than India for the current stalled relations between the two countries.

Here is my synopsis of what is going on:

1. Pakistan erroneously believes that it's "equal" to India. India is a much bigger country and is a major emerging economic power. Also, India is a full-functioning democracy, while Pakistan's history on that front is weak. So this concept of "equality" is misplaced.
2. India has made good economic progress in recent years, thanks to the reforms that were started during the Rajiv Gandhi administration. I suspect Pakistan is jealous of that and it tries to pull India down through terrorism.
3. Pakistan started using terrorism as a policy tool against India through its out-of-control ISI. Initially, the focus of this campaign was Kashmir, but in recent years terrorism is being extended to targets in India (e.g., last month's attacks in Mumbai, attack on India's Parliament building, and previous Mumbai attacks) and elsewhere (e.g., Indian embassy in Kabul). These attacks are criminal because they target innocent civilians, which is contrary to the teachings of the Koran.
4. The support of ISI given to terrorist organizations has made them stronger. But once these terrorists found a foothold, they began to target Pakistan itself. These undesirable elements are trying to eat the hands that once fed them.

I think India has shown tremendous restraint and deserves credit for that. India understands that going to war is not going to solve this problem; wars have unpredictable outcomes and it will bring only misery, more to Pakistanis than to Indians. On the other hand, if Pakistan continues to use terrorists as a proxy to bring India down, then India is put in a position where it has no other choice but to attack Pakistan militarily.

Here is what I think Pakistan and India need to do:

1. First, Pakistan MUST stop ISI's support for terrorist organizations. Pakistan MUST handover the terror suspects of recent Mumbai attacks to India or MUST bring them to justice via Pakistani courts. Putting them under house arrest or arresting them but releasing them a few months later is a sham, not justice. They killed 180 innocent civilians, Pakistan must show better moral judgment than it has done so far. These terrorists must be hanged or jailed for life. If Pakistan doesn't take decisive actions this time, terrorism will destroy Pakistan itself.
2. Pakistan needs to reform its ISI and remove its bad elements. ISI must report to the civilian administration. The military must be put under firm civilian control as well, like in all other democracies. I think the American aid to Pakistan must be contingent upon these administrative reforms. A full-fledged democracy is a prerequisite for Pakistan to do well on the world scene, like India and Japan have done.
3. Pakistan needs to have governmental control of all of its territories, including the northern tribal provinces. If parts of Pakistan are not controlled by the central government, then, in strictest sense, Pakistan is not really a sovereign country.
4. Pakistan and India should stop treating each other as enemies. Stop hatred and animosity - all it does is bring destruction and block economic progress. Who knows, some day, Pakistan and India will become one country again (starting out as a federation, if not a fully integrated country - I think it's doable).
5. Kashmir has been a thorn between the two countries. I think the sensible thing to do is to agree upon the present Line of Control (LOC) as the final border (with some minor adjustments) and put this issue to the rest. I don't think any other solution will be accepted by the populations of the two countries (and leaders have to concede to the public opinion or else they will be thrown out of office by the voters). Pakistan and India may work out special provisions to have unrestricted access from one part of Kashmir to the other and allow free trade between the two parts.
6. The future of Pakistan and India lies in close relationship, increased trade, open borders, etc. It's that kind of relationship that will bring economic progress and improve the living standard for both populations. Terrorism will bring only misery - that's a dead end; all it will do is lock you in perpetual poverty.

In recent years, globalization has been the trend; we have more and more interdependence among the countries. Pakistan and India need to resolve their differences peacefully and reap the fruits of globalization - there is no other way.

I hope, you will see the wisdom in what I am saying and show strong leadership and statesmanship to do what needs to be done right now and in coming months and years to put the relations between Pakistan and India on the right track.

I might point out that your wife Benazir Bhutto and the late Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi saw the wisdom in good relations, and if they both were still alive today, it's safe to assume that Pakistan and India would have been like brothers again. Now it's up to you to realize their vision and improve the lives of your people.