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The Daily Times, one of the leading English newspapers of Pakistan, has mentioned that by urging Pakistan to curb terrorism before the bilateral talks, India is isolating itself globally. The editorial has been published in reference to the statements made by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue during his two-day visit to Kashmir.
"India should realise that it is isolating itself globally by putting the condition of removing terrorism on Pakistan before it begins talking," Daily Times said in the editorial titled ‘Mr. Singh's hidden 'precondition'’.
Manmohan Singh "says there is 'no precondition' for talks with Pakistan except that Pakistan should bring its terrorists under 'effective control'. How else does one impose a precondition?" the editorial asked.
Manmohan Singh had mentioned that eliminating terrorism by Pakistan was the practical way for the resumption of bilateral dialogues between the two nations.
India, the editorial said, "needs to come out of its posture of 'policy nirvana' and take a careful look at where South Asia stands today with two SAARC members - Afghanistan and Pakistan - in dire straits. This is the time to talk and change the old postures that have perpetuated conflict in the region".
Holding that India was "in many ways crucial to Pakistan's efforts at stamping out the disease of terrorism it has contracted", the editorial added that this country "is threatened from within as never before in its history but because of India's obstinacy is forced to designate India as the bigger enemy than the Taliban and the Al Qaeda”.
"In fact, the strategy is to accuse India of funding rebellions inside Pakistan and thus explain the ongoing bilateral tension. It is only after 'normalising' relations with India that it can free up enough troops from its eastern border to fight the terrorists," Daily Times maintained.
It also noted that "domestic political compulsions" had deterred Manmohan Singh from "reaping the moral advantage he had over Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks".
"He was not overly enthusiastic about Pakistan at Sharm el-Sheikh but was pilloried when he returned home. Pakistan was flexible before Sharm el-Sheikh but afterwards bent to domestic compulsions and Prime Minister (Yusuf Raza) Gilani began putting Kashmir on the front-burner," the editorial said.
