Piecing 'Peace' Process
- Faruk Ashrafeen, Islamabad

INDIA has never been serious in “peace” talks. But it seems serious in “piecing” peace anyway. Ayodhya incident is an eye-opener, not for India but for Pakistan.

I remember hardly a month ago Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh warned: “A single act of ‘terrorism’ can sabotage the whole peace process.” Observers felt tremor shocks in the statement.

“It means something serious is going on, on Indian side, and it is about to happen any time”, they feared. Now after the Ayodhya incident, Manmohan Singh has repeated the same warning.

“Such incidents, if repeated, have the potential to disrupt the ongoing peace process with Pakistan.”

Observers take the warning serious. The temple incident comes soon after the announcement of US-India defense agreement. RAW-sponsored Indian websites are littered with anti-Pakistan material. There is growing number of sponsored articles accusing Pakistan of harbouring terrorists and infiltrators.

Deccan Herald has reported that six terrorists killed in Ayodhya were wearing Pak labeled shoes and shirts. Another website says “India’s past experience shows that Pakistan’s leadership has always let down India after the peace initiative.”

Mehbooba Mufti, referring to start of bus service, suggests to President Musharraf “to give his own proposal a serious thought” with reference to bringing down violence in Kashmir.

All this indicates that India is all set to reverse the “irreversible” peace process.●

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