India, Pakistan must write new peace chapter

India and Pakistan threw off the cloak of cynicism and presented a picture of optimism on the sidelines of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) summit hosted in the Maldives. For the first time it appears that there is hope to salvage previously fractured relations between the two nuclear armed neighbours who have, for decades, failed to negotiate a comprehensive path to peace.

The establishing of cordial relations and cooperation across all platforms will ensure stability in a region which stands to be scorched by the fires of terrorism and extremist forces who are operating in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The people of these two countries are thirsting for the normalisation of ties and to their credit Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani have vowed to open a new chapter and expressed hope that the next round of talks will be more constructive and productive. Both heads of state have been quietly building confidence among their own teams in the face of failure and this has resulted in the revival of many initiatives. These include the joint commission, which has been derailed since 2005, a preferential trade agreement and a more liberal visa policy.

Pakistan had earlier signalled a fresh attitude by bestowing upon India the status of Most Favoured Nation with a view to facilitating better trade and economic policies. In order to ensure that all irritants, both major and minor, are erased, both parties must periodically review their relationship till there is a clear view of the future.

Accusations and counter-accusations must now be consigned to the past. Key issues should be deliberated in a transparent manner so that doubt and suspicion are removed from the equation. It is clear that Singh and Gilani share a common vision of peace. They must now jointly fast-track the scripting of a new chapter and a new era.