Aasha Khosa/New Delhi

In this season of peacemaking between India and Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken another initiative of extending the olive branch towards the neighbour by sending warm greetings to Prime Minister Imran Khan on the country’s national day.

In a letter dated March 22, sent through Indian High Commission in Islamabad, Modi extended his wishes to the people of Pakistan. Pakistan is celebrating its National Day today.

The letter said, “As a neighbouring country, India desires cordial relations with the people of Pakistan. For this an environment of trust, devoid of terror and hostility, is imperative.”

While he put across India’s single objection on terror tactics used by Pakistan and yet spoke of building the trust and ending hostilities.

Referring to the COVID-19 pandemic, Modi said: At this difficult time for humanity, I would like to convey my best wishes to you and the people of Pakistan for dealing with the challenges of the COVID pandemic.

Narendra Modi's letter to Imran Khan

Modi’s letter has won a huge appreciation from the media in Pakistan and the netizens and it is being referred to as “yet another initiative by Modi towards initiating talks”

In an editorial Pakistan’s leading newspaper Dawn said, “The Hawks must be sidelined so as a conducive atmosphere is created between India and Pakistan.”

Ever since the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two countries announced the cessation of hostilities on the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir and adhere to the 2003 pact of maintaining peace, hawks in Pakistan have been blaming the Army for surrendering the ‘cause of Kashmir.’ Their claim is that instead of sticking to its line that ‘No talks until Article 370 is restored’ Pakistan is now ready to speak to India on the latter’s terms.

What appeared as the multiple signs of thaw is the result of months of back-channel diplomacy between the Indian intelligence agencies and the Pakistan Army. It appears that the meetings between the two sides happened in Dubai, London and other places across the world. These negotiations were monitored by National security Advisor Ajit Doval from India while on the other side, it was the Deep State of Pakistan comprising the Army and the all-powerful Inter-service Intelligence (ISI).

Among the soon to come changes in relations between the two countries is Pakistan has in principle decided to import cotton and yarn from India to support its once-famous textile sector.

Though the government had clamped down on all trade with India in the wake of Delhi recalling its High Commissioner from Islamabad and suspending trade with the neighbouring country after the Pulwama attack in 2019 February, Pakistan had quickly exempted essential drugs and some vaccines from India from its retaliatory move.

There is talk about both the countries appointing High Commissioners in each other capitals to take the relations to a normal level.

However, the most important perception change happened in Pakistan when India gifted millions of doses of Covid-19 vaccines to all the south Asian neighbours while Pakistan was left out. The public in Pakistan believed that their government should not stand on false prestige and ask for a vaccine from India.

Private televisions and internet TVs portrayed this perception. Many anchors and analysts openly favour Pakistan’s seeking help from India on COVID.

India has now promised 54 million doses of vaccine to Pakistan and this is being sent via GAVI, an international alliance for global vaccination drive. The mechanism offered by GAVI is that it informs the recipient country about the sources of its supply. The country is sent the vaccine only after it confirms its willingness to accept it.

Pakistan was thus told that the source of its vaccine will be India and apparently Islamabad has approved it. The vaccine will be delivered by May-June. One consignment of the Indian vaccine has apparently being delivered to Islamabad on March 17. The scene of receiving the vaccine has not been highlighted to evade embarrassment.

The meeting of the permanent Commission for Indus water Treaty after a year also happened in this season. Though Pakistan has objections to the height of dams of the three of the run of the mill power projects being built in Jammu and Kashmir, their delegation chose not to go to media with negative aspects of their meeting.

Added to this is the possibility of India joining Pakistan and China in anti-terrorism exercises likely to be hosted by Pakistan under the banner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation sometime this year.

India and Pakistan were admitted to the SCO in 2017.  The SCO is an economic and security bloc comprising China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.