Give Pak a chance

India’s re-engagement with Pakistan has been as dramatic as recent instances of bilateral discord. The lessons learnt from the Indo-Pak joint statement at Ufa finally produced a breakthrough in Islamabad. The clincher was the hush-hush meeting in Bangkok that produced a joint statement spelling out all issues both sides plan to discuss. The NDA will face domestic criticism for resuming talks without definite progress on the Mumbai trials, but there is no need to decry it. Dialogue is imperative to resolve issues. Brinkmanship in international relations is not the answer. Diplomacy is a slow-moving process. It must be given a chance.

Padmini Raghavendra

Secunderabad