The Pakistanis are masters of double speak. Whenever any issue arises, they issue two statements. One is for the outside world and one is for internal consumption. To the outside world, the image is that of peacemaker, an ally in the war on terror etc. The internal Jihadi crowd will call this a sellout, so they need to present a macho image and rally the various oppressed nations under the banner of the Pakistani Indentity, which is just based on breaking the Kashmir valley from India.
This doublespeak was evident during the Army operations against the Baluch nationalists. And now the same doublespeak is there in the discussions that Pakistan is having with India.
Doublespeak seems to be key stone of Pakistani diplomacy. Even as Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri played to the international gallery by declaring that Islamabad was so keen on peace that it was ready to put Kashmir on the backburner, President Pervez Musharraf was busy playing to the domestic audience going ballistic on Kashmir and dismissing CBMs as futile.
While Kasuri talked of confidence building measures and long drawn negotiations on Kashmir, Musharraf declared that the Kashmir issue should be resolved at the earliest, and that CBMs alone have no value unless both India and Pakistan move ahead on the longstanding dispute.
“Kashmir (issue) cannot be sidelined and to bring peace, stability and prosperity to South Asia. The problem needs to be resolved without delay”, the Daily Times quoted the President as saying in an interview with the ARY TV channel. [Pak doublespeak stumps India’s peace efforts ]
