Voice of Commonwealth

Secret India-Pakistan peace plan brokered by UAE Royals

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Islamabad, Pakistan (CU)_ The top envoy of the United Arab Emirates flew to New Delhi for a short one-day visit 24 hours after military chiefs from India and Pakistan stunned the world last month with a rare joint promise to honor the 2003 cease-fire agreement. The official UAE statement of the February 26 meeting provided insights into the discussions made by the two envoys. Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed and his Indian peer Subrahmanyam Jaishankar discussed all regional and international issues of mutual interest and exchanged views on them.

The India-Pakistan ceasefire marked a turning point in months of secret talks mediated by the United Arab Emirates. According to the news sources, the UAE, which has historic trade and diplomatic relations with both India and Pakistan, has initiated a more forceful foreign role under de facto ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Officials told the media that the truce is only the start of a broader plan to establish a durable peace between the rival neighbors, who both have nuclear weapons and have been at odds for decades over a territorial dispute. After a suicide attack in Pulwama in 2019, which killed 40 Indian soldiers, the two countries’ ties were strained. 

According to the officials, the next major move in the peace process is to reappoint envoys on both sides in New Delhi and Islamabad, who were removed in 2019. The next step will be the difficult part, which involves discussions to revive trade between the countries and finding a long-term solution to Kashmir, which has been the site of three wars since India’s independence. General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Pakistan’s army chief, asked India last week to bury the past and move forward, adding that the military was ready to engage in talks to settle all the unresolved problems.

Prime Minister Imran Khan had also urged India for a resolution on Kashmir, calling it “the one issue that holds us back.” Few days earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished Pakistani PM well after the latter tested positive for Covid-19, which is another indication that the two countries’ relations are improving. Following the cease-fire declaration, the UAE was one of the few countries to issue a statement, highlighting its strong historical relations with both India and Pakistan and praising the efforts made by both countries to reach this agreement.

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