IT’S not often when a navy warship, decisively primed for conflict, shows its country’s ‘soft’ side, that too to its ‘enemy’.

But that’s what happened when the Pakistan Navy frigate Aslat, which is equipped with missile launchers and anti-submarine rockets, hosted 11 Indians among the 36 foreigners and 146 Pakistanis on their three-day journey out of strife-torn Yemen to Pakistan.

The remaining foreign nationals were from China, the Philippines, Syria, United Kingdom, Indonesia, Egypt, Jordan and Canada.

Take a look: India accepts Pakistan's offer of special aircraft to bring back citizens

The navy clearly pulled out all the stops in an effort to play the hospitable host. It seems in fact that they did it so well that by the time the passengers disembarked at Karachi port on Tuesday to an enthusiastic welcome, they — including even the Indians — were cheerfully waving the Pakistan flag.

Not quite the sight that warmongers on either side would relish but a triumph for track-3 diplomacy nonetheless. The bonhomie was evident in the remarks of the passengers about their trip, which the UK nationals described as having been akin to a luxury cruise.

They also mentioned the fact that the ship’s crew had very thoughtfully prepared a special Easter Sunday dinner for them.

The arrival of the Indians to Pakistan’s shores was followed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s offer to send them home on a special flight, which was accepted by the Indian government.

In this brewing conflict, Pakistan and India have been good neighbours, with the latter also evacuating some Pakistani nationals from Hodeida a few days ago.

The cooperation we have just witnessed is a relief from the hostile posturing by the two countries from time to time.

Some years ago, there was similar cause for celebration when several Indians kidnapped by Somali pirates were released through the efforts of the Pakistani government.

Just as strategic interests can bring together strange bedfellows in a war, humanitarian impulses can engineer a counter-intuitive situation. Where India and Pakistan are concerned, such an opportunity is no less than PR gold.

Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2015

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