To a long-term observer of India-Pakistan relations, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s interview to Al-Arabiya news channel on 17 January followed by quick clarifications and retractions by his office, could only bring about a sense of Deja Vu. It was reminiscent of the diplomatic, bilateral rhetoric undertaken by the political leaderships of the two countries in a bygone era.
In those days—say in the 1990s— while Pakistan’s army and its intelligence agencies were fully engaged in promoting terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere in India, its political leaders pointed to the immense advantages which would accrue to the two sides if a friendly and cooperative bilateral relationship could be established. Such an aspiration was immediately followed by several caveats. Naturally, the most important among them was the need for a resolution of the J&K issue and in a manner which Pakistan wanted.