NOW that Pakistan and India have calmed down after the Pulwama incident and its aftermath, it is time the two nations realised that one miscalculation on either side could have led to a catastrophe beyond imagination.

To avoid such a crisis in future, we should accept the fact that the world will always be unsympathetic towards a nation accused of sponsoring terrorism.

We must realise that our case for Kashmir has weakened because of the activities of some terror groups.

The government and the armed forces should firmly resolve to ensure that such groups do not exist on our soil. We must get rid of the perception that we harbour groups known internationally as terrorists. Rationally thinking, it is not in our interest to be associated with any of these groups.

During General Musharraf’s reign, we came close to resolving the Kashmir issue with India through back-channel diplomacy. Let’s be realistic and move forward in this direction.

Jaffar Naqvi

Lahore

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2019