ONCE again it is down to the leaders at the top. It is for Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharif and Manmohan Singh to find a way out of uncertainty. Precious lives have been lost in border firing incidents this month — with each side blaming the other. All these lives could have been saved provided there was in place a corrective system which swung into action at the first sign of tensions. Then again, that system will need several rounds of talks and the need for a resumption of these talks takes us back to the all too familiar point: knocking at the doors of the chief executives of the two countries.

Bilateral ties are where Pakistan and India must always defy the standard working procedures. Elsewhere, chief executives may only be required to formally put the seal on an agreement that has already been worked out by officials on either side. Not so in our uneasy corner of the world. A meeting between the leaders of India and Pakistan is the cue essential to the resumption of the bilateral dialogue process at various levels. Routinely, one country’s leadership appears keener on pursuing talks than the other. Right now, the supposition is that, with a general election in India due next summer, this may not be the right time for New Delhi to be talking peace with Pakistan. It is Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, fresh in his new term, who wants his peaceful intentions known. Just as instances such as the release of more than 300 Indian fishermen in Karachi counter jingoistic tendencies on either side of the Line of Control, Mr Sharif talks about the costs of the arms race. He says he wants to “pursue conflict resolution with New Delhi with far more energy and vigour”.

These are welcome words but there are issues Pakistan must deal with to add greater meaning to this push for peace. The militant groups within the country are not just against the Pakistani state, they are viewed as a threat by India. They have been quite categorical in their warnings to Islamabad against ‘befriending’ India just as Mr Sharif has been ready to negotiate with these militants. Unless the PML-N government can effectively silence the militants at home, its call for dialogue will be viewed by Delhi to be lacking in substance. Whereas this is not an easy position for Mr Sharif, his counterpart Mr Singh surely understands the pitfalls of dismissing positive overtures from Pakistan. Between them the two prime ministers must achieve a fine balance.