'India needs to resume talks with Pakistan'

Islamabad, Feb 19: Indian officials really ought to be directing their energies to achieving an immediate resumption of the bilateral dialogue with Pakistan, an influential Pakistani daily said on Friday, adding that New Delhi should not be annoyed over the the sale by the US of F-16 fighters to this country.

An editorial “Indian objections to F-16 sale” in the Dawn on Friday said that the sale of F-16 aircraft has appeared to annoy India more than it helps Pakistan’s overall counter-insurgency efforts. It should not.

“But the very fact that it does - that New Delhi appears to feel it necessary to protest the American sale of F-16 aircraft to Pakistan - demonstrates the extent to which the Pakistan-India relationship needs to be protected from reactiories in India,” it said.

The daily said it may be true that the use of F-16s is not central or fundamental to the Pakistani counter-insurgency effort in Fata. “But neither are the additiol aircraft vital for Pakistan’s overall deterrence efforts against India.”

“What is troubling though is that Indian authorities appear to insist that the Pakistan-US relationship has some automatic implications for the Pakistan-India context. It does not.

“Eight new aircraft does not change the strategic - or operatiol balance - anymore than a similar addition of similar aircraft by India would.”

It noted that much as Pakistan - and possibly India - is trying to restart dialogue between the two countries, it appears that the old approach continues to domite. “The Pakistani state’s deterrence against armed conflict with India has neither been shaped nor determined by US arms transfers.

“Much as Pakistan achieved deterrence capability against India while US sanctions were in effect against Pakistan, the same logic applies today: US transfers to Pakistan will not change the latter’s fundamental ability to protect itself against Indian hegemony.”

The daily went on to say that perhaps what Indian authorities ought to consider is another reality: can Pakistan really ever defeat terror - the kinds that threaten the Pakistani state and also regiol powers - if it does not have all the necessary tools at its disposal?

“India wants to not only dictate to Pakistan what the latter’s tiol security interests ought to be, but also the manner in which they ought to be fought - and the resources with which they should be fought. “Pakistan has every right to the F-16s and doubly so when it comes to the possibility of using them to combat perhaps the foremost threat to regiol stability.”

It added: “What Indian officials really ought to be directing their energies to is achieving an immediate resumption of the bilateral dialogue. Pakistan and India deserve better than the old approach of endless complaints and no forward movement.” (IANS)