Abdullah Mustafvi
Efforts to explore peace probabilities among various stake holders in South Asia must be consistently accelerated to restore durable stability in the region. Greater projects like CPEC and OBOR under Chinese initiative have provided a valid reason to open the windows of cooperation among the regional players. Defusing regional tensions by enhancing economic and cultural ties has remained a strong suggestion from few intellectual quarters in Pakistan . Those who propagate this positive idea usually criticise Pakistani establishment for creating a false hype against India which, in reality, compromises the overall intent of their own concept by giving an undue advantage to the world’s so called self style largest democracy . India is deeply involved in massive human rights violations in Occupied Kashmir , cross border terrorism and proxies in neighbouring countries specially the Pakistan . Definitely , economic ties can help in reducing the probabilities of military clashes , which might prove deadlier than our imaginations due to nuclear capability on either sides, but it is also a bitter reality that a tie can never be built unilaterally . India , being the bigger player by virtue of her size , has never been serious upon idea of building worth while economic ties with Pakistan . As far as cultural ties are concerned even Dalits being Hindus are yet unable to find a respectable status in highly prejudiced Indian society so any acceleration with Pakistan on such vague grounds remains an impossible act . Realistically viewing the ground factors , Pakistan very rightly moved forward to strengthen the economic ties with China through CPEC as the world neither starts with nor ends at India . Despite having multi dimensional irritants, like American deep interests as well as physical presence in the region , Pakistan courageously applied the wisdom to become part of a potentially dynamic regional economic project . Definitely , we need not to put all our eggs in Chinese basket and must pursue the minutest possible details of the project with sharp precision. Indo – USA offensive intentions towards the CPEC are not without potent reasons , it can be understood by viewing CPEC through geo strategic lens as this corridor provides an alternative route to link the important CARs Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan being located at the borders of China . It provides equally good connectivity options to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan . Interestingly, and to the horror of Indo- US nexus ,the CPEC has emerged as an antidote idea to the old myth that all roads from Pakistan into Central Asia go through Kabul or Wakhan. CPEC provides immense opportunities to CARs to expand trade with Pakistan and also go through China for further trade expansion. It is not an idea conceived on air conditioned desks of intellectuals sitting totally off-sighted from ground realities . On one hand CPEC is progressing rapidly in Pakistan and on the other hand a positive approach has taken roots in CARs about the project . Reportedly, CARs are all set to be part of the CPEC. Abundance of natural resources in CARs like oil, gas, gold and precious metals multiply the investment potentials of all projects and industrial zones linked with CPEC . Obviously , recent warmth in bi- lateral relations with Russia would add to the better prospects of wider regional connectivity through multilateral tracks. Pakistan has rightly emerged as a regional player standing tall against the storm of terrorism and simultaneously contributing heavily to build a durable economic connectivity all across the region . Unfortunately , India has proved herself otherwise by pursuing coercive policies against Pakistan and ultra manipulative manoeuvrings against smaller countries like Nepal, Srilanka and Bhutan . Modi regime went all out to incapacitate the forum of SAARC which caused additional tensions in the region . Vigorous pursuance of proxies in Afghanistan to destabilise the Pakistan has so far fetched nothing good rather fuelled the fire in war ridden areas of Afghanistan . Pakistan is striving hard to fight out all the odds generated by India and standing as a flag bearer of peace . Though, India has been persistently criticising upon CPEC by beating the dead horse with rotten argument that corridor passes through the disputed territory of Kashmir , but her indirect involvement in any other regional connectivity project might help in reducing the probabilities of armed clash on any other dispute including the Kashmir . India should realise that by sponsoring terrorism and proxies against Pakistan she would not be able to reverse the wheel in occupied Kashmir . Likewise standing along the foreign forces like USA in Afghanistan , who are contributing to worsen the crisis , India can never explore a way forward to fetch peace back in her home front . By putting Pakistan on mate , Modi can satisfy the extremist Hindu circles but can not overcome the day by day worsening inner fissures spread all over the India including Kashmir , Tamil Nadu , Mezoram and Nagaland . Undoubtedly , economic ties can serve as an effective sweetener against the bitter recipe of conventional or non-conventional war probabilities in South Asia.
