THE ADUCTION of the 19-year-old son of Pak Mission staffer and his maltreatment in mysterious circumstances in New Delhi as also forcing two U.S. helicopters involved in relief operations in Azad Kashmir to land in the Indian controlled territory have rightly been termed as a setback to the peace process. Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesperson told newsmen in Islamabad that a strong protest had been lodged with New Delhi over the unfortunate incident in the Indian capital. The young man was picked up by unknown persons and later forced to hold a blood—stained dagger with the side of dead bodies of three persons before he was photographed by his abductors is indeed a horrifying experience by the Pakistani youth who was subsequently thrown out of a running vehicle after midnight. The abductors deprived him of his belongings and left a note for his father to send him out of New Delhi within five days failing which he was threatened with dire consequences. The U.S. relief helicopters which had strayed into the area under Indian Army’s control alongside the Line of Control were forced to land and their crew members were subjected to protracted questioning is an incident betraying India’s bid to reverse the peace process. On the one hand, India agreed to allow by 7t’’ November crossings of LOC at five different points to enable Kashmiris on either side of the border to help one another in relief work, but on the other Indian authorities did not make necessary preparations and logistical arrangements to give effect to the Pak-India accord on the LOC crossings to facilitate Kashmiris in relief operations. The Indians failed to open all the points (except one) agreed to, which resulted in police -baton charge on Kashmiris who wanted to forcibly cross over from the announced point. Now New Delhi has opened the second point but vehicles are not being allowed to carry relief goods from either side. The three other points are yet to be opened. When Indian delegation had agreed to the date for opening of the five different points for crossings on LOC, it is unfortunate their officials did not proceed to complete various arrangements before the due date. It certainly betrays lack of trust on the Indian side.
The earlier decision to start Muzaffarabad-Srinagar Bus Service was indeed historic. The subsequent agreement between the two Governments, though made in the wake of monumental tragedy that ht Kashmir on 8`” October, to allow Kashmiris to cross LOC at five different points to assist earthquake affectees and to enable them to give moral and emotional support to one another was described by the international press as a reminder of the dismantling of the Berlin Wall. President Pervez Musharraf had observed in interviews with foreign TV channels that he wanted LOC to become irrelevant. The attitude of the Indians unfortunately did not reflect the feelings of the Pakistani leader. The subsequent events have shown no signs of any change in New Delhi’s stance on the age-old conflict over the disputed state. Various confidence building measures taken by the nuclear-armed neighbours since January 6, 2004 have created an enabling environment for the two sides to resolve the core issue. However, it appears the Indians are unnecessarily dragging their feet. Over one billion people of South Asia will benefit if peace is established. Peace will have to be bought for a price. Future will show if Indians want to buy peace.

Playing by the book

The decision by India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to suspend Foreign Minister Natwar Singh from office is a wise one. There are allegations that he received kickbacks in the Iraqi oil-for-food scam which an independent inquiry will investigate. Congress, of all Indian parties, cannot afford to be seen as being soft on sleaze. Corruption is sadly endemic in Indian political life. But Congress has been particularly tainted in the past by allegations of corruption. Public anger at the level of sleaze was one of the reasons why voters threw it out of office and turned increasingly to the BJP. Now that it is back in power, the party must be seen as pristine clean. The electorate will forgive it for past misdemeanors (it is not just Natwar who has been accused by the UN report into the food-for-oil scam but the party as well) — but not if the present leadership tries to ignore them or cover them up.
The only caveat is that Prime Minister Singh should have acted immediately the UN report was published. That was almost two weeks ago. By not doing so until now, the BJP has been able to seize the initiative; it looks in part as if the government is acting solely because the BJP forced it to. On the other hand, the call by the BJP for Natwar to be sacked is grossly unfair. An allegation does not amount to or establish guilt. No one should be regarded as guilty until proven to be so. That is a travesty of justice — and it is not the way the law in India operates. There, as elsewhere, a man is innocent until proven guilty.
There is too great a willingness these days to believe someone guilty simply because he or she has been accused. BJP leader L.K. Advani is playing on that — which is to his shame. Has he forgotten the Tehelka tapes scandal revealing arms bribery when he was in government and how it forced the resignation of Defense Minister George Fernandes? Or that the prime minister and BJP leader at the time, Atal Behari Vajpayee, then brought Fernandes back into the Cabinet without waiting for an inquiry to find him innocent? Presumably not; he is just hoping everyone else has. But this is the same L.K. Advani who four years ago, with no shame whatsoever, brazenly justified Fernandes’ return by insisting that the incriminating Tehalka tapes had not “damaged any minister.” So much for consistency or integrity.
No one, however, can accuse Manmohan of double standards. Once allegations had been made, the case had to be investigated, and more importantly, be seen to be investigated. He has taken precisely the right course by suspending Natwar (which is what has effectively happened in removing him from office but keeping him in the Cabinet). He could not do less because there is no way that the foreign minister could function while the accusation hangs over him. But to do more, thus pre-emtping the investigation and giving credence to the accusations, would have been unjust. He, unlike the government of which L.K. Advani was a member, is playing it by the book.

—Arab News