As external affairs minister S.M. Krishna heads for Islamabad on Friday, India will perhaps be hoping that both countries will be able to put behind them the acrimony and bitterness that marked his last visit to Pakistan two years ago. Mr Krishna, in fact, said on Tuesday that he would be going to Pakistan with “greater optimism” and that there was a “huge difference” in the “level of relationship” since his last visit.
Mr Krishna will be in Islamabad on a three-day visit beginning September 7 and meeting his Pak counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar to review the peace dialogue between the two countries. Asked by this newspaper what message he will be carrying to Islamabad, the minister said: “I will take with me the message of serious intent of the government and people of India to resolve all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan through dialogue in an atmosphere free of terror and violence.”
As for his expectations from the visit, Mr Krishna said: “It would be very difficult and it would not be fair to pre-judge the outcomes. India is of the view that normalisation of relations between India and Pakistan should be a step-by-step process. My visit to Pakistan is one more step in that direction and approach.”
Notwithstanding the anti-Krishna diatribe launched by the then Pakistan foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, two years ago, the external affairs minister appeared to set the tone for his upcoming visit instead stating that the last visit had created “certain positive vibes.” However, he noted that “there were questions that remained unanswered.” Now, he added, he would be going to Islamabad “so that the India-Pakistan relationship can be put in the right perspective.”
A positive note was struck too on Tuesday when Ms Khar said that her country has taken “bold and unprecedented decisions” like granting MFN (Most Favoured Nation) status to India. This, she said, has injected a “new momentum” to the normalisation of ties between the two countries.
On Tuesday, there were also indications from Islamabad that the proposed liberalised visa regime agreement between the two countries may be signed.