Is back channel diplomacy already on between India and Pakistan amid these tensed moments?
In a dramatic development after the US President Donald Trump described the face-off between the two South Asian neighbours as “very, very bad” and stated that the hostilities should end, a Pakistani Hindu lawmaker from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party Ramesh Kumar Vankwani met Indian leaders including foreign minister Sushma Swaraj and minister of state for external affairs Gen. V. K. Singh.
In fact posting a snap of his meeting with Ms Swaraj, Mr Vankwani also tweeted: “Nice meeting with @Sushma Swaraj. Peace is in the best interest of people of both countries, Pakistan and India”.
Vankwani was here as part of a large international visiting team of foreign nationals who were on a day-long trip to Prayagraj Kumbh on Friday. Vankwani’s Twitter profile also describes him as a patron-in-chief of Pakistan Hindu Council.
In fact, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj among others met the visiting foreign nationals from as many as 182 countries. There was no confirmation till evening on whether Vankwani met Prime Minister Modi separately.
A resident of Karachi Vankwani had a brief interaction with MoS External Affairs Gen.V.K. Singh during the lunch break.
When asked to comment on the present impasse in ties between India and Pakistan, the visiting lawmaker (member of the National Assembly of Pakistan) said – “my government in Pakistan does not want any problem….and I can speak to Indian leaders and Prime Minister Narendra Modi if there are problems between the two countries”.
Indian officials declined to divulge details about the visiting MP, who is also the chairman of Pakistan National Assembly Standing Committee on Statistics.
One source in the ICCR, which initiated this marathon Kumbh visit for representatives from 182 countries, merely said, “Vankwani is from Sindh area, this much I know”.
Another source said – “He is here in individual capacity, we cannot say Pakistan government has nominated him. Moreover, the visit was essentially aimed at Kumbh”.
The dramatic visit of the Pakistani politician – without oft repeated any row over visas and in utter secrecy and turning it as a non-event – took place on a day when Prime Minister Modi made a sort of a climb down from the hawkish stance and urged his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan to prove himself as true ‘Pathan’ by taking steps to fight poverty and illiteracy in the two countries.
“Pakistan’s prime minister told me (last year) ‘I am the son of a Pathan. I do what I say.’ It is time to test his words,” Modi said at a rally at Tonk in Rajasthan.
Recalling his first telephonic talk with Mr Khan after latter’s poll victory in 2018, Mr Modi said – ‘I had told him you are from the world of sports… Come, let India and Pakistan get their act together and fight poverty and illiteracy.
‘In response, he had told me that he (Imran) is a son of a Pathan and he will always speak the truth and also do things in the right manner…. Thus time has come for him to prove his own words,’ the Prime Minister said.
All these also happened on a day when the apex body of Islamic nations invited India – for the the first time in its 50 years history – to attend the plenary session of OIC in Abu Dhabi on March 1.
According to observers, the growing international support to the Modi government including strong statement from UNSC and FATF naming JeM for Pulwama attack and the OIC invite are only making things paradoxical and could stall government’s hot pursuit against Pakistan.
“The UNSC resolution and anti-money laundering body FATF also taking Pak-based groups by name is a clear recognition of India’s grievance and anguish against Pakistan. Thus the onus seems to be coming on the Indian side now and it will not be advisable to give away the high moral ground,” a source said.
Interacting with foreign nationals who visited Kumbh and that supposedly also included the Pak lawmaker from Imran Khan’s ruling party, Prime Minister Modi said – “I request you all that when you go back to your country, you spread the word about India’s culture and heritage and your own positive experience in India”. (UNI)
