The immediate and long term results expected out of the President’s visit:
Although the actual reason for the visit to the Sufi shrine is not clear, the visit is held in high spirits because of the positive string of events that surfaced in its presence. As already mentioned earlier, it can be safely quoted that the Pakistani entourage was constructive by all standards, the world media churned out positive nods from different parts of the globe.
How can anything that passes between the world’s two biggest nuclear powers not commend a remark from the US? In this regard, it was rather pleasing to see positive comments. State Department spokesperson Mark Toner said, “We think his visit to India actually is very constructive, and we’re all for it.” Â The States did not want the $10 million reward on the successful handover of Hafiz Md. Saeed, the darting founder and leader of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) to be affected or as a matter fact, to affect the springing ties of hope between the nations.
Although no dossier was handed over to the Pakistani delegation, it was ascertained in subtle talks that steps to stop Anti-India campaigns by LeT should be done. Manmohan commented, “It is imperative to bring the perpetrators of Mumbai attacks to justice and prevent activities aimed against India from Pakistani soil.” The result of the discussions, although do not cradle any immediate promises from both the nations but the following comments by both sides ink links towards a prosperous and guarded future.
“I and President Zardari had constructive and friendly exchanges of views on bilateral issues which affect relationship between India and Pakistan,” said PM Singh, which was followed on by Zardari’s heartfelt words, “very fruitful bilateral talks”.
A day to commemorate the fast dying feeling of Humanity!
The day that followed these series of smooth yet powerful political events, the direct revelation of the ‘talks’ was felt back home in India. The 80 year old Pakistani Professor Sayeed Md. Khalil Chisty who was sentenced for a life time imprisonment for a murder in Ajmer was granted bail on humanitarian grounds. This was a result of the conversation that Pakistani Interior Minister, Rehman Malik had with P. Chidambaram on April 8. The Professor who taught Virology at the Karachi Medical College and had laurels such as a doctorate degree from the Edinburgh University, teaching experience in Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Iran was in prison from 2011 after running an 18 year trial. The bench of justices remarked “we hope what has happened yesterday continues…it is great”.
While the crème de la crème of all news happenings in the nations gave way to other domestic and international affairs, what remained unanswered was that this subtle beginning that lighted up a ray of hope in the billions who reside in the nations, “what is its shelf life?” Such advances have been made from time immemorial but not much has been achieved. Although the people breaking the treaties and pacts have been different in different instances, one point that remained headstrong was the general suffering of the common man. Even an apparent noble move by the Pakistani president got a lot of scornful acclamation by Pakistani media and public. As responses to the twitter feeds by Bilawal, political critics tweeted… “Donation of 1 million USD from personal money or from MY money?” was posted by @HamidMirGEO. Muhamram Karim posted, “Our people are starving and ur dad is giving charity of $1 million in India. He has gone nuts”.
Not just posts on social networking sites, few national newspapers highly criticized the use of state funds to organize a passage of such a mammoth level. A national daily said that Asif Ali Zardari ”needs to understand that if he is to avoid ridicule on home ground, then ‘private’ is ‘private’.
The mausoleum of Khwaja Mouinuddin Chishty has been a brooding ground for healthy Indo-Pak relations from a long time. The pages of the golden history that these two countries share are full of instances when the Dargah diplomacy has worked wonders in breaking the ice between the recurring feuds and rueful proceedings between the countries. Whatever be the current state of affairs in Zardari’s personal life, as commoners we always hope that the ziyarat offered pays back and amity is established between these two sister nations.
And as Benazir Bhutto said to a young Bilawal, “there is a little bit of India in every Pakistani and a little bit of Pakistan in every Indian”, let us all hope the mangled body of the once united motherland gets solace in the happy faces of her sons!
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