'Dialogue' vs. 'action': Next step for India-Pakistan conflict

The military escalation between India and Pakistan appears to be winding down for now, as crossfire on the Line of Control has decreased. Still, many say the crucial underlying problems between the two still need to be addressed urgently.

Two guests on the show, Zoon Ahmed Khan, a visiting fellow from Tsinghua University and Atul Aneja, Associate Editor of The Hindu, shared the latest news from both Pakistan and India.

Khan said that Pakistanis don't want any warmongering rhetoric against India and the Pakistan leadership wants dialogue with India.

“Dialogue is conducive for the long-term interest of Pakistan, economic, social, political and otherwise,” stated Khan.

On the Indian side, Aneja said they're focusing on feasible steps to counter terrorism inside Pakistan, as well as diplomacy in full gear with the 1267 Committee meeting happening soon.

Khan responded that Pakistan has taken tremendous measures to deal with extremism and terrorism.

“Pakistan on every level, on the political level, on the level of stakeholders, is willing not only to deal with this up front, but we also have the National Action Plan,” said Khan. “So Pakistan is doing everything it can in terms of its current capacity to counter the issues, and these are not just for India, but for Pakistan domestically as well.”

Khan thinks that India is correct that Pakistan needs to tackle these issues, but the ways India approaches these issues such as isolating and bullying Pakistan are not in the right direction. Again, she stressed the importance of dialogue between the two sides.

Aneja pointed out that the present situation should be seen from a broader context. He introduced the historical reasons why India requires an additional visible cut down on militant groups, especially Jaish-e-Mohammed. Past joint investigations with Pakistan on attacks by Jaish-e-Mohammed in India have been unsuccessful.

“So there's certain history as to why we arrive at this position… after forty Indian soldiers were killed in Pulwama on February 14,” said Aneja. “The time for talk is over, you take action.”

However, Khan was opposed to this idea, saying that it was not the time for stopping the conversation between the two countries, which in her opinion was also shared by the public in India.

(CGTN)