Imran Khan's Letter to Modi Offers 'Constructive Engagement' while Pakistan Army does 'Destructive Engagement'

Head Constable Narendra Kumar was martyred in Jammu in Samba sector just two days ago September 18. This is another heinous barbaric attack unprovoked by the Pakistan Military forces and they had mutilated his body and apparently cut/slit his throat. 

In this kind of situation. the same old Jihadist mindset seems to be prevailing on our border, and this imposes the fundamental challenge to India's national security which is a long-term strategic threat.

To have the Prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan writing a letter to our Prime Minister Narendra Modi offering to start a constructive engagement when they are behaving destructively, simply doesn't square up. It is completely lopsided offer, which is saying that the outstanding issues, J&K and saying we are willing to discuss terrorism. 

Well for us, outstanding issue is terrorism, and that has clearly made us thinking that what is the priority for dialogue. The Pakistanis are revealing the cards. They don't think there is any terrorist problem or they pretend they are not causing any threat to India. So this is the issue we need to deleberate upon while responding Imran Khan's offer because it is disingenuous, it is not based on any kind of heartfelt love for peace and co-operation. Rather, it seems to be two-track approach where in one hand they will keep the pressure on the border and increase terror attack and violence and desecration and humiliation of our soldiers like what happened to head constable Narendra Kumar.

On the other hand, they will pretend they are interested in peace and extending a hand of friendship. These are the kind of double dealing going on that we must be very very cautious in responding. PM should weigh the national sentiment as well as the arm forces including the BSF, which has recently they suffered this martyrdom, and think about whether or not we should take up these kind of sly offers that do not change anything fundamental, but simply rotate the old policy of killing and mutilating with one hand and saying my other hand is open for friendship.

So the time is not right for these kind of peace process or dialogue. Imran khan's own position within the Pakistani establishment seems to be quite weak, so if he is sending these kind of letter it is on the direct instructions of the General headquarters in Rawalpindi which means they have they have double face strategy.

If Imran Khan as a civilian doesnt know where he stands in military', there's no way he can deliver any kind of agreement on any kind of outstanding issues. And when he says we are ready to discuss terrorism, that's already a cop out because they are not willing to accept that there is a terrorist threat and it is an outstanding issue.

Overall its not an attractive proposition from an Indian point of view or national interest to take this kind of offer. We should first insist that they must apologise for all kind of actions and there must be accountability while handing over the Jihadists or prosecuting minimally in their own legal system and by bringing to book some of these hardline terrorists who are doing these barbaric acts of inhumanity.

Dialogue requires confidence. A dialogue requires a degree of trust, and a predictable pattern of behavior over a period of time. We are not interested in a dialogue which is coming out of these kind of highly ideologically, jaundiced and religiously tilted fundamentalist parties on the other side. They believe that they are involved in some kind of eternal war against what they consider to be Hindu India.

READ: Responding To Imran Khan's Letter To PM Modi, MEA Confirms Sushma Swaraj’s Meeting With Pakistan FM At UNGA While Stressing ‘meet Shouldn’t Be Confused With Talks Or Dialogues’

This ideological and religious animosity, these are the core of the barbaric actions we are witnessing against our forces on the border. In such a situation, to dignify them with a dialogue, even at the level of the Foreign ministers, I think it would be a sacrilege. 

Secondly, the proposed vision of Imran Khan that eventually that the SAARC summit will happen in Islamabad and PM Modi should travel to Islamabad for the SAARC summit, I think this is very far fetched. They have not fulfilled any of our minimal needs and met our security interests at all in the last several years. Hafiz Saeed is still running around with relative freedom to do whatever he wants.

So, in the absence of any kind of accountability and justice, to really restart a dialogue process leading to a summit as they are predicting or hoping for in Islamabad, I think it is very far fetched. I think it's very important right now to hold them their feet to the fire and to insist on Trump administration and the rest of the International community to see through the double game that they are playing, where they are trying to act nice in public, while the actions on the border and in Kashmir continue to remain extremely problematic and illegal and violative of our international humanitarian laws. A troublemaker needs to change it's behavior first before it can be honored in the form of a handshake, that too at the level of summits or foreign ministers.