Delhi-based Pakistan High Commissioner, Shahid Malik's rebuff to American diplomat Robert Blackwill over the US role in bilateral relations between India and Pakistan relating to the Kashmir dispute marks a significant departure from the neighbouring country's known position. 'Please stop meddling; we are capable of sorting out our problems by ourselves', Malik is reported to said in response to Blacwill's audacious suggestion, at a Delhi gathering on Sunday, that the interests of India and Pakistan would be better served by conceding a direct role for the US in their bilateral matters, particularly the Kashmir issue.
22 April 2008: Kashmir Times
Outcome will determine the efficacy of bilateralism
Delhi-based Pakistan High Commissioner, Shahid Malik's rebuff to American diplomat Robert Blackwill over the US role in bilateral relations between India and Pakistan relating to the Kashmir dispute marks a significant departure from the neighbouring country's known position. 'Please stop meddling; we are capable of sorting out our problems by ourselves', Malik is reported to said in response to Blacwill's audacious suggestion, at a Delhi gathering on Sunday, that the interests of India and Pakistan would be better served by conceding a direct role for the US in their bilateral matters, particularly the Kashmir issue. Coming as it does on the heels of the installation of a new government in Pakistan, it is safe to presume that Malik's significant assertion had the prior approval of the Islamabad establishment. To that extent, it signifies a major change in the Pakistani policy line. A broad hint of this change had already come in President Pervez Musharraf's remark, during his recent visit to China, that Pakistan had now adopted a bilateral approach to resolve the Kashmir dispute with India. Malik's categoric 'no' to the US role, however, goes a major step further. It is for the first time that Pakistan had so unambiguously declared the door shut for any US role.
An added significance of this development lies in its timing. The next round of the composite dialogue between India and Pakistan is about to be held in Islamabad and external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee is scheduled to go there. It would be the first high level contact between India and Pakistan after the establishment of a democratic coalition government in Islamabad. Kashmir is an important item of the agenda. Unlike in the past, the US presence is not seen as an unmixed blessing across the political spectrum in Pakistan. In fact, the odd presence of two senior US officials during the crucial government formation period had evoked widespread resentment among Pakistani circles. The visiting American officials were made to feel as unwanted guests, though that did not stop them from pursuing their dubious mission.
Even otherwise, Robert Blackwill, a former US ambassador in India, has the reputation of being a representative of the George Bush-led neocon establishment in Washington. Pakistan cannot but see him and his views with suspicion. But that reservation alone could not have been sufficient for Shahid Malik's categoric 'hands off' declaration in Delhi. Obviously, there is more to it than meets the eye. Blackwill also happens to be India's officially appointed lobbyist in America relating to the US-India nuclear deal. So, his credentials as an honest broker are 'suspect' in the eyes of Pakistan.
Ironically, what at the face of it looks palatable to both, India and Pakistan might not go down so well across the board here in Jammu and Kashmir. It is the declared position of most of the organizations within the separatist camp that the bilateral route has proved to be a failure in resolving the Kashmir dispute. They are comfortable with the space for a US role though, at times, the US position regarding its 'war on terror' undermines their local interests. This intervening development has added to the significance of the impending Islamabad round of the composite dialogue. At stake would be its credibility. The least that the two countries could do is to overcome the hurdles and clinch the Siachen pullout deal and agree upon some genuine enlargement of the Kashmir-related confidence building measures. Otherwise, this exercise would fall short of creating an impact where it matters the most apart, of course, from lowering the credibility of this exercise. It would also project Shahid Malik's rebuff to the US in more positive light which would, otherwise, continue to be seen differently in different quarters.
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