HOPES were not very high that relations between Pakistan and India would improve greatly under Modi 3.0, and up till now there is little to suggest that Narendra Modi’s third stint in power would change the bilateral equation positively.

Pakistan was not invited to the Indian prime minister’s oath-taking earlier this month, whereas other regional leaders attended. Moreover, there was a lukewarm exchange of X posts between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Mr Modi to mark the latter’s election victory, and while replying to Nawaz Sharif’s congratulatory tweet, the Indian leader highlighted the need for ‘security’.

Yet the Pakistani administration has lately sent out positive public feelers, perhaps to gauge the mood in New Delhi. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who also oversees the foreign affairs portfolio, while speaking at an event on Tuesday, called for “good-neighbourly relations” with India, at the same time emphasising a “just and peaceful solution” to the Kashmir dispute. Mr Dar added that it is time for “sober reflection” on the status of bilateral ties.

Considering Mr Dar’s position on the totem pole, the public outreach to India appears to be a serious attempt to mend ties. From here, the onus is on India to reciprocate. One small but crucial step towards normalisation can be the restoration of full diplomatic ties. Both capitals have been without the other state’s high commissioner for nearly five years, after ties were downgraded in 2019 in the aftermath of India’s scrapping of Article 370 of its constitution.

Moreover, the stalled dialogue process should be restarted, both at the official level and via the backchannel. The Indian establishment can pretend that Pakistan no longer matters in its foreign policy calculus, but the truth is that a peaceful region will bring economic and other dividends for the entire subcontinent, including India.

As and when this process of talking to each other commences, Pakistan should stick to its principled stand on Kashmir, yet it should be willing to discuss all other outstanding issues. While it is expected that India would keep repeating its mantra on ‘terrorism’ and ‘security’, New Delhi’s negotiators should adopt a less rigid stance if they are at all serious about regional peace.

Either the status quo can continue, and with it the mistrust and toxicity that have dominated bilateral relations for over seven decades, or both sides can take bold steps for peace, and create a better future for the more than two billion people of the subcontinent.

A basic framework for peace exists from the Musharraf era; this can be dusted up and updated if both sides are committed to leaving the past behind and working for a better future. Much will depend on whether and how New Delhi reacts to Mr Dar’s overture.

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2024