Indo-Pak Nikah

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Dates were finalised and venue was fixed. Under the pressure of US, India succumbed again and we had yet another Indo-Pak nikah. Both sides took the name of Afghanistan's capital thrice - Kabul, Kabul, Kabul! President of United States Barack Hussein Obama had just scripted a typical blockbuster with a happy ending.

Hang on! Did I say Obama?! Yes, hours before the crucial ceremony Pentagon came out with a report that Pakistan had actually shifted troops from its border with India to the western border. A report that was even rejected by the Afghan government. But it was enough to create an impression that Pakistan's perception vis-à-vis India is changing and the real trouble is in Afghanistan not anywhere else.

Flipping through the annals of history, I realise that the situation is no different from the period of Imperialism. If we had 'cutting of the Chinese melon' then... the 'melon' now is Afghanistan. Every country wants the piece of the pie. Hence, not surprising that hours after the PMs' meeting, all the Afghanistan stakeholders, including US & UK, welcomed the resumption of talks.

Revisiting the battleground, where a team of consiglieres lead by Pakistan Prime Minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani, made an offer to the Indian side that they couldn't refuse. Body language of Qureshi at the press conference was upbeat while foreign secretary, Nirupama Rao, was speaking with a gun on her temple, knowing well that any goof up a la Sharm-el-Sheikh or the one at New Delhi could make the life difficult for the government in Parliament. A government that is already reeling under the pressure of budget, IPL realised that any "bad drafting" could be suicidal. In between all these, I still can't figure out, why Foreign Minister, SM Krishna, gave the "positive" press conference a miss?

It's true that Pakistan govt has been successful in running a strong media campaign in minimising the damage and maximising their gain, even in the ongoing turbulent times. Let's try and analyse the recent incidents- Pak says that because of India it is unable to concentrate on western border. Campaign's impact, US gives more money to Pak and forces India to talk. Still not clear? For quite a few months Pakistan has been blaming India for the water crisis in the country but suddenly the rhetoric tones down and Qureshi says that Pakistan is also "responsible for the water wastage". A true diplomat is someone who can tell you to 'go to hell' in such a way that you will look forward to the trip.

India on the other hand continues to raise the issue of terrorism but there was surprisingly no mention of Kasab, keeping in mind that we are expecting a big judgement on 26/11 shortly. No protest on the fact that Rehman Malik has tagged India's evidence on Mambai attack as "unauthentic". Mambai?! Thank gaad,Thackerays are not reading it!

Not many in India may know that Rehman Malik was a little known FIA officer who went on to become the interior minister due to his proximity with Pak President Zardari. His timing of reply to the Indian dossiers even took the Pakistan journalists by surprise. Malik's media appetite is enormous. His handling of dossiers before the talks is just a reminder of that. There are n number of stories of Rehman Malik bypassing his own colleagues in the government and making key announcements.

To me it seems like India has the facts but lacks the presentation of those facts. Yes, we all know that innocence is the first casualty of any war but nobody wants a war. But perhaps India can try and play this 'talks game' like a corporate rivalry. A right mixture of corporate communication and corporate social responsibility could be the right media strategy for India.