The Citizen Conversation with… Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi
by Mallika Kaur Sarkaria on December 10, 2008 in Citizen Conversation with...
Dr. Lodhi is a current fellow at the IOP and former Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States and the United Kingdom. She sat down with the Citizen to discuss the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai and relations between Pakistan and India.
Q: The Indian government and media have been quick to accuse Pakistan – or at least, insinuate that Pakistan was responsible – for the recent Mumbai attacks. What are the consequences of those reactions?
A: We’ve been there before. With the 24/7 news cycle, it’s important for media itself to show the kind of responsibility that is warranted by the circumstances.
Pakistan has proposed the setting up of a joint commission to investigate the attack with the national security advisors of the two countries. I think the Indian government should accept the initiative. This could provide the basis for greater mutual understanding and evolving future joint strategies.
In the absence of evidence that the Indian government has shared with us, it is so important for us to settle the environment, to calm the atmosphere. If we are going to find the solution to violence, to terrorism, it has got to be solutions that are cooperative. This tragedy – the Indian government’s response to the tragedy – now endangers the gains of that peace process.
Q: Is there a real fear that tensions will escalate between the two countries?
A: I don’t think there’s a sense of fear. I think the possibility of war is not something that people are contemplating. In one sense, what this shows is how crisis-prone this relationship is, how brittle. In the last few years, the two countries demonstrated a new maturity in managing terrorist attacks. The kind of confidence that was inspired by the last several years now is under question.
I think we need mature and sober and calm responses to this tragedy, however angry we may be. Aggressive postures toward a country that you need help from is not a very intelligent way of doing this.
Q: What about internal threats? There seem to be worries concerning the escalation of RSS and right-wing Hindu activity, given what’s happened in Gujarat and now Mumbai.
A: Terrorism has both domestic as well as international aspects. We need to examine both. Examining it – understanding it – is not justifying it. To understand why people do resort to acts of violence is really to look at how we can then come up with strategies that can address this. If those strategies include engaging with the grievances that some of these men of violence have, then we must engage with those grievances.
Q: Are you hopeful for an Indian-Pakistani unity against the common enemy of terrorism?
A: I think it’s an imperative for both countries. The question is, do we have the leadership that recognizes and operationalizes that? India is close to elections. It’s not for me to comment on what’s right and what’s wrong in terms of how this election competition should proceed. But it would be tragic if the attacks of Mumbai would simply become an instrument or a pawn of partisan politics.
I was among those who had been saying that the advent of the electronic media and satellite TV in both countries would be positive for the peace process, that it would be humanizing. I wonder whether I have been much too optimistic in characterizing the role of the broadcast media, because I think the last few days have shown that the media can work in a manner which is actually counter to this generally positive trend.
Q: What about the U.S./Pakistan relationship? Pakistan has been treated both as an ally and with suspicion by the U.S. government. Do you see that relationship becoming more complicated after these attacks?
A: I think the U.S. has to make up its mind. The U.S. has to ask itself whether it wants to come in as a fire brigade, only to put out fires then and wait for it to rage again, or whether it wants to become a peacemaker.
The U.S. must launch a diplomatic initiative to help India and Pakistan reach a broader consensus with each other, which includes a resolution on Kashmir. If it wants Pakistan to turn its gaze from the eastern frontier towards counterinsurgency, this is a very fundamental prerequisite. I hope this tragedy will enable the next U.S. administration to understand how important it is to ensure that one of the most dangerous places on earth, which South Asia happens to be, is no longer one of the most dangerous places on earth.
Q: In your study group, you’ve interacted with a lot of younger Indian and Pakistani students, international and non-resident South Asians. Do you feel that there’s hope in this younger generation of not making the same mistakes as their parents’ generation? Is it different in this Diaspora than it is back home?
A: We have to recognize that there are hard political disputes in the region that have to be resolved. The Diaspora lives in an environment that doesn’t have to deal with those. Therefore, their sentiments, their whole culture is very different, fundamentally different from those back home. I do think the Diaspora can have a very positive impact in their countries of origin because their voices are listened to.
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nice day mam,
I havew one doubt to clarify with you. pleasehelp me .
yours truly
suhasini