ISLAMABAD: Indian Prime Minister Nar­en­dra Modi’s Ramazan greetings call has confirmed the apprehensions of Pakistani diplomats that India is still not ready to bilaterally engage with Pakistan, even though it may have no qualms in interacting at the Saarc level.

Coming against the backdrop of exchange of hostile statements, Prime Minister Modi’s telephonic call to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday for conveying the greetings on the advent of the holy month of Ramazan had led to hopes that the two sides would now move away from confrontation. The perception was particularly strengthened by the statements on the conversation issued from Islamabad and Delhi which quoted the two leaders as emphasising on “peaceful, friendly and cooperative relations”.

But diplomats at the Foreign Office interpret it differently. Modi’s Ramazan call, much like the previous one made in February ahead of the Cricket World Cup in which he had call­ed leaders of South Asian countries taking part in the cricketing event, was part of the Indian leader’s outreach to region’s Muslim leaders.

Meanwhile, Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar’s trip to Islamabad in March that was described by many as an “ice-breaker” was also part of a regional tour.

“This (call) shows his (Modi’s) proclivity for dealing with Pakistan in the context of Saarc,” a senior Pakistani official explained to Dawn.

Modi also uses such gestures to signal to the international community India’s “desire” for engaging with Pakistan.

Asked about the prospects of resumption of peace dialogue, the official said that Modi’s telephonic call shows that “India would not revert to bilateralism for some more time”.

Meanwhile, also at his weekly briefing FO Spokesman Qazi Khalilullah reiterated the call for dialogue to address the longstanding disputes with India. “You are aware that there are disputes and serious issues between Pakistan and India that need to be resolved through dialogue. We would, therefore, welcome any steps from India that would help promote peace in the region and improve bilateral relations,” he said.

Responding to a question about the call from US Secretary of State John Kerry and a statement by a UN spokesman, both of whom called for de-escalation, Mr Khalilullah said Pak-India tensions had regional implications and were thus cause of concern for everyone.

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play