AUGUST 13, 2018 INDIA TODAY 37RULES OF
THE NEW
GAME
Can India do business with a
hawkish Pakistan? Or will
Khan signal detente?Every victor in a political election soon realises that once he or she
occupies the seat of power, responsibility takes precedence over
rhetoric. Imran Khan had to do that almost instantly. On the
stump, he had mocked his arch-rival, Nawaz Sharif, for reaching
out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he was in power,
with the slogan—“Modi ka jo yaar hai, woh gaddar hai” (He
who is a friend of Modi is a traitor). A week later, when the elec-
tion results showed that his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
(PTI), was in a position to form the government, Khan’s tone was
more conciliatory, promising that if Modi took one step towards
improving relations between the two countries, he would take
two. When Modi graciously called Khan on July 30 to wish him
well, they both hoped that they could begin a new innings together
in India-Pakistan relations.
The good thing for Khan is that when it comes to improv-
ing ties with India, expectations are extremely low. So even the
smallest steps he takes to move things forward will make a splash.
That’s because Sharif, who promised so much when he was elected
as the prime minister for the third time in 2013, delivered very
little beyond handshakes and hugs. Instead of an upswing, rela-
tions between the two countries touched a new nadir in the past
three years. The formal dialogue process never got going, tensions
ran high over Pakistan stoking the volatile situation in Kashmir,
the 2003 ceasefire agreement on the Line of Control (LoC) is asBy Raj ChengappaE
OVER STORY
INDIA-PAKISTAN TIESASADZAIDI/GETTYIMAGESRULES OF
THE NEW
GAME
Can India do business with a
hawkish Pakistan? Or will
Khan signal detente?Every victor in a political election soon realises that once he or she
occupies the seat of power, responsibility takes precedence over occupies the seat of power, responsibility takes precedence over
rhetoric. Imran Khan had to do that almost instantly. On the
stump, he had mocked his arch-rival, Nawaz Sharif, for reaching
out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he was in power,
with the slogan—“
who is a friend of Modi is a traitor). A week later, when the elec
tion results showed that his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
(PTI), was in a position to form the government, Khan’s tone was
more conciliatory, promising that if Modi took one step towards
improving relations between the two countries, he would take
two. When Modi graciously called Khan on July 30 to wish him
well, they both hoped that they could begin a new innings together
in India-Pakistan relations.
The good thing for Khan is that when it comes to improv
ing ties with India, expectations are extremely low. So even the
smallest steps he takes to move things forward will make a splash.
That’s because Sharif, who promised so much when he was elected
as the prime minister for the third time in 2013, delivered very
little beyond handshakes and hugs. Instead of an upswing, rela
tions between the two countries touched a new nadir in the past
three years. The formal dialogue process never got going, tensions
ran high over Pakistan stoking the volatile situation in Kashmir,
the 2003 ceasefire agreement on the Line of Control (LoC) is asBy Raj ChengappaE
OVER STORY
INDIA-PAKISTAN TIESROHIT CHAWLACS-Imran-Raj-Aug13.indd 36-37 8/2/2018 1:55:24 AM