Hasina and Sharif: breaking the iceHaving vanquished his enemies at home, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was a picture of confidence in Dhaka.Given the history of the two countries, it is surprising that a large number of Bangladeshis in fact, realists put it at practically half the nation still considers Pakistan a "natural" ally. Sharif was there as the first Pakistani prime minister since 1991 to build on this. Tactically, he could not have chosen a better time. Most Bangladeshis expect Gujral and his doctrine to vanish before long, to be replaced by a right-wing and aggressive (read BJP) government. "Sharif has struck gold," says an Indian observer.Sharif made sure he missed no step. He more or less apologised for the 1971 events that led to the Pakistani repression and the emergence of Bangladesh. "I believe the verdict of the 1970 elections should have been respected," he declared a day after the summit. "If it had, then the politics of the entire region would have been different today." The few gullibles who may have thought Sharif had the economy uppermost on his mind were disappointed. "Regional economic cooperation can only flourish in a secure and peaceful atmosphere ... unless the Kashmir issue is resolved, South Asia will remain locked in a cold war of its own making," he said. What was amazing is the speed with which Indian flags were removed following Gujral's departure on January 15. Thereafter, only Pakistani and Bangladeshi flags fluttered. India is worried about the prospect of continued Pakistani support to hardcore Islamists in the BNP and to the ULFA and other Indian militant groups based in Bangladesh. .preferred-source-banner{ margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:10px;}The end of Gujral's tenure, it is feared, may bolster their position and drag the situation in the Northeast to a pre-1971 situation. Quite a few people believe that the coming Indian elections will have a pan-regional impact. Says a Bangladeshi political scientist: "In the event of a right-wing government coming to power in Delhi, Hasina may find it hard to justify her pro-India slant and may be pressured into negotiating, who knows, even military arrangements with Pakistan." He may be overstating his case but not the complexity of the relationship between the three subcontinental states.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Feb 2, 1998--- ENDS ---
