India not too worried about US-Pak strategic dialogue

The strategic dialogue between Pakistan and the United States held in Washington on Wednesday is being seen in New Delhi diplomatic circles as a US effort to coax Islamabad to play its part in war in Afghanistan.  The US needs Pakistan’s help to stabilise Afghanistan even as it seeks a quick exit from a region that has through the ages broken the backs of mightiest armies.

Pakistan, in turn, is aware of the US’s current acute dependence and knows this is the time to wrangle concessions. No wonder then that the Pakistani military and civilian rulers have jointly drawn up a 56-page wish list, which Pakistan presented to the US before the talks. The list includes demands for helicopter gunships, pilotless drones, and a civil nuclear agreement akin to what the US has with India. Islamabad also wants Washington to get New Delhi to restart the Indo-Pak composite dialogue and to play a role in resolving the Kashmir dispute.

Earlier, during a hearing on the US defence budget, US joint chief of staff chairman Admiral Mike Mullen had said that Washington could not afford to lose in Afghanistan. “Right now, the Taliban still believe they’re winning. Eighteen months from now, if we will have executed our strategy, we’ll know they aren’t, and they will know they can’t,” he told the House subcommittee on defence. “Getting there will require even more cooperation with Pakistan, with whose leaders we are meeting this week. The stakes are too high for failure.”

Yet, despite the US’s desperation, secretary of state Hillary Clinton has clearly said that chances of a nuclear deal with Pakistan are dim and that Washington cannot force itself on Kashmir unless both India and Pakistan agree to the suggestion.

South Block is not too worried about the ongoing dialogue, realising that it is merely the need of the hour. Nor does it have a problem with development aid provided by the US to Islamabad; a stable Pakistan can only be good news for New Delhi. What worries India is the arms that Washington might provide to win over the Pakistani army’s support. “Past experience shows that arms provided to Pakistan have always been used against India,” said an official, who requested anonymity. “We want the US to make sure that whatever fresh arms are provided is closely monitored.”

He said India cannot complain about any two countries seeking a strategic partnership. “We are confident that even though Pakistan may benefit in the short run, India’s relationship with Washington is multi-dimensional and likely to grow as business interests converge,” he added.

Former Indian ambassador to US Naresh Chandra said India needs to watch with a degree of aloofness. “Pakistan is trying to squeeze the maximum mileage out of the situation, sometimes overreaching itself. The US is going about it in a detached, cold and calculating manner, hoping to get full cooperation from the army. But despite these gestures, the US remains unpopular with the general masses in Pakistan,” he said.