Even as the governments of India and Pakistan struggle to re-establish regular dialogue between the two countries, the Pakistani Army and Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) are reported to want a seat at the table. The two agencies claim to be the real power centers in Pakistan who play a crucial role in Pakistan’s India policy. They argue that their direct involvement in the dialogue process would lead to meaningful discussions.
If indeed such an offer were to be put forth officially, it is not in India’s interests to accept it. India needs to send a clear message that it considers legitimate only those agreements and decisions that are made by the democratically elected civilian government in Pakistan. As the largest and oldest democracy in the region, India should support only valid democratic governments as dialogue partners.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has already come under criticism for being soft with Pakistan about punishing terrorists. Formally talking to the ISI and the army would only add to his problems.
Former Indian Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee had previously refused to recognize the Pervez Musharraf government for a long time. This was done not only because Musharraf was not a democratically elected leader but also because he was seen as the architect of the Kargil conflict in 1999 that had brought both countries to the brink of a nuclear war. The ISI and Pakistani army have also been involved in attacks on Indian soil and supporting militants in Kashmir. India recently submitted evidence of ISI’s involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Following the Vajpayee government’s logic Singh should also refuse to talk to the ISI or the army.
As pointed out by The Hindu correspondent Siddharth Varadarajan, some South Block (External Affairs Ministry) officials also see no point in the Indian Army Chief talking to his Pakistani counterpart as their job definitions are very different. They point out that India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), a part of the Indian intelligence structure, is subordinate to the government and works within the framework of law. Pakistan’s ISI on the other hand seems to be a law unto itself. Regular contact between the two agencies for intelligence/ information sharing, and dialogue in terms of policy-making are two different things. The Indian government is unlikely to let its army or intelligence services officially venture into the policy-making arena. Pakistan’s history of military coups and a high-riding intelligence agency is enough to scare away anybody.
