‘Neither a Hawk nor a Dove’
IN the first ever insider’s comprehensive account of the most promising dialogue between Pakistan and India since Independence, the book titled, ‘Neither a Hawk nor a Dove,’ authored by Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, former Foreign Minister of Pakistan will be published by Penguin later this month in India. From an in-depth analysis of the nature of Indo-Pak relations to Kashmir’s background and complex nature of Pakistan-US-Afghanistan-India quadrangular relationship, Kasuri’s book will provide key insights on Pakistan’s foreign policy. In fact, the title of the book has been adopted from his first meeting with then President, Pervez Musharraf, who asked him pointedly, “Are you a hawk or a dove on India, Kasuri Sahib?”
In his book, he urges Pakistan and India, the two nuclear weapon powers to show restraint since both are equally capable of destabilising the other. Kasuri paves way for a peaceful resolution of the conflict between two countries, as he writes in the book that he knew on the basis of his experience that both the countries have major fault lines and that both are equally capable of destabilising the other. This, he felt left them with no option but to act in a responsible manner since the fate of almost 1.5 billion people of the two countries depended on that.
The book which promises to provide insights on Pakistan’s foreign policy also describes the initiatives taken to promote peace between India and Pakistan including the ‘backchannel,’ negotiations on Kashmir and the peace process during 2002 to the end of 2007, thus provided a framework for a possible solution on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and former Indian Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, went on record to confirm this. These efforts increased the quantum of trade and helped encourage cross-border interaction among people. They also helped to usher in a period of ceasefire on the LoC in 2003 which lasted for almost 10 years — great contrast to the current state of hostility. In addition to this, he has also given details of the background of these landmark developments, beyond the so called ‘four point formula’ often referred to in the media.
Kasuri has updated the book to November 2014 where he also describes the advent of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the current policies of the new Indian government. He has analysed the situation regarding the latest developments in India, Afghanistan and on Pak-US relations based on his experience of dealing with these countries as Foreign Minister. The former Foreign Minister has also devoted an entire chapter on the attitude of the Pakistan Army towards the peace process with India and on the Kashmir framework.
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