Is the complex and difficult relationship between India and Pakistan improving or getting worse? Is Pakistan on the defensive? Is India too smug?
Tonight WHYS will come from Mumbai with Rahul Tandon…
….and from Lahore with Owen Bennett-Jones.
Our two audiences will question and discuss with each other issues on their minds, including how Pakistan is dealing with extremism, the moot point of Kashmir, how cultural exchange in cricket and film seem to freeze as soon as there is another diplomatic row, voting against divisive politics and their feelings of brotherhood or anger and bitterness.
In November 2008 co-ordinated attacks across Mumbai killed 101 people. One of the targets was the Taj Hotel where Rahul Tandon with some invited guests will be tonight.
A Pakistani is on trial in the case currently going through the courts but many of the people in Pakistan our teams have talked to, refuse to admit that their countrymen might be to blame
Tonight our audience in India and Pakistan will talk to each other and ask each other questions about whose responsibility it is what happened in India last November.They’ll also be listening to your comments and trying to answer your questions as well so keep them coming
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BBC World Have Your Say 
India and Pakistan seem to be destined to continue to be suspicious of one another as from their independence there are many issues between them that remain unresolved, particularly Kashmir which is still disputed between them.
Some of the questions about their relations can be:
1- How much influence does India have on Pakistan internal policies?
2- How does India view Pakistan’s close ties with the USA in its fight against terrorism?
3- What role does religion play in the differences between India and Pakistan as the latter is predominantly Muslim while the first is predominantly Hindu and Buddhist?
4- What does it take for India and Pakistan and India to trust each other in view of the record of their enmity that culminated in two wars between them? Can they for example sign an extradition treaty to show their good will?
5- What can Pakistan learn from India’s democracy as in India the transfer of power has been through the ballots while in Pakistan, election results were ignored and power was taken over through military coups , assassinations and imprisonment?
6- Can the last elections in Pakistan which brought an elected government and president be a total break from military takeover? Can democracy succeed in Pakistan despite terrorist threats, the big influence of religious leaders and the deep divisions between the major parties?
Leaders continually use divide and rule tactics to maintain their rule and they continually harp on differences among groups in order to state their point. India and Pakistan are one people but because of religious,political and sectarian divisions they are at war.What pains me the most is that these countries are very religious and it so ironic that they are the most bellicose.
To solve this problem their must be open and frank discussions among the parties about past discretions. This must be undertaken in an atmosphere of fairness, willingness to listen, empathy and diplomacy. Each party must be mature and willing to accept their role in the current situation. Only when the past is properly dealt with and a determined decision is made to move forward can peace, harmony and most importantly trust return. Without trust relations cannot not be mended.
A powerful issue that is on my mind is the role of religion in the animosity between the countries. How can two countries with such a rich religious back ground behave so atavistically towards each other? Does religion help or hinder peace?
Does religion accept differences of opinion?
No, I don’t think relationship between Pakistan and India is getting better, because every time India forwards it’s hand for friendship with Pakistan we could see a terrorist attacks supported by either Pakistan or it’s agent-Inter Services Intelligence. No we could see clearly what Pakistan is facing “terrorism” which it supported terrorists to attack India.
Well, a bit of Israel and Palestine? May be. India and Pakistani are two countries that are almost hard to distinguish on the basis of their people. The rubbing of shoulders by two siblings who should be joining arms against an adversary isn’t good sign at home. In Africa we say, when siblings fight, its an omen. Ever since the first rifts that eventually ushered indepedence to Pakistani, relations have never been peaceful. Most affected have been those in the disputed area of Kashmir. All sorts of atrocities have been committed in a bid to claim the region. Currently, there is ‘some peace’ but it in no way guarantees harmony. Living on a fragile peace is what the Kashmirs are experiencing. Its a matter of time before everything explodes again, just like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. What worries me most is the two nuke powers using this arsenal to annihilate each other. The question I therefore pause is; how will the authorities in Delhi and Islamabad ensure that nuclear power isn’t considered in trying to reach a peaceful solution to the ever high tempers that exit between the two siblings? What assurances will they give to the whole world that sentiments and sentimental arguements will be left out in trying to reach a fair conclusion to the problem? As for religion, I detest the religious hypocricy exhibited especially by Pakistani. Due to a tolerance for extremism, the SWAT valley and especially Lahore has seen some of its worst days. Pakistani is got to stop the denial game and start tackling these issues on a serious note. India for me is being wrongly blamed for crying out loudly and being too soft at times. That shouldn’t have been the case at all. I do believe India’s cause justifiable.
Daryle emailed World Have Your Say
For the benefit of the U.S. Audience…Why should the U.S. continue to care about the difference between Pakistan and India which is obviously strongly ethnically charged…and obviously not the U.S.’s competency (ex. Iraq)?
I have a question …Because the way towards peace is to stop listening to the media and the government and to start listening to each other. I am Muslim and live in the USA. I applaud efforts towards peace. We as a World community need to communicate with each other and not through terrorists nor government.
A Pakistani just said there is enormous coverage of Kashmir in Pakistan. What is the nature of that coverage? Are the former Hindus of Kashmir ever mentioned?
Now they seem to be agreeing on the USA being the source of trouble. Fine, most of us don’t want our resources going to you either. Fair trade with both countries is good for all, but this foreign aid is just a drain on our already stressed budget with nothing in return. Pakistan is a black hole for money and resources.
But say we get out of Pakistan and Afghanistan now. What sort of guarantee can Pakistan make that there will not be another terrorist attack in the USA sourced from their country? I suspect the educated, liberal folks speaking from Lahore can really only guarantee they and their friends won’t stage a terrorist attack and everything else isn’t their problem. Fine, but their refusal to deal with their more radical fellow countrymen means we have to do it – with all the nasty problems that intervention in a far away, extremely foreign culture creates.
Before India cheers the Pakistani view of the USA, Indians should recall the Pakistani response to the Mumbai attacks, which ranged from “wasn’t us” to “well its just a few isolated nuts who happen to be in Pakistan – nothing to do with us.” All we in the US really want is a meaningful guarantee that we won’t be on the wrong end of a Pakistani or Afghanistan-sourced (nuclear?) terrorist attack.
When will we drop the walls of anger and communicate honestly with each other.
For Varun Gandhi’s comment India has punished him for his wrong statements where as we could not see any action for such type of culprits in Pakistan. As far as your blame on India for terrorists attacks in Pakistan I clearly condemns Pakistani friends blame and would like to remind you that India never believe in violence and we obey our father of nation “Gandhi’s” ideology of non-violence. “India never encourages violence and India doesn’t need any kind of such actions – India is one of the best peace keepers in the world”. Thank you.
i dont understand why we keep discussing the symptoms and not the real problem. terrorism is not a self-born animal, it is a reaction to something. no one opens his eyes one day and says, lets go for a suicide bombing today. and i will be blamed for starting the blame game again, but to me the real and only reason is Kashmir, and the blame, is not on India, but on the Britishers who divided India in such an illogical way. it is very obvious that they wanted to leave a dynamite in the middle of the two countries. and now i can’t blame india for not letting go what has been given to it, even if unduly.
Why, if Pakistanis and Indians talk with each other for the first time, do you talk about politics? Why not find common ground and talk about food, weather, family, entertainment, etc? How are we alike? We are all HUMANS!
As long as India and Pakistan continous this, often ridiculous, insane, and very unproductive relationship; neither nation will fullfill its true potential. Get you all’s act together for the betterment of all your peoples and the world.
India and Pakistan have been at this war for ages. It is time to stop the blame game and move on. I believe that India and Pakinstan have internal problems to deal with, focusing on these problems will be worthwhile for their governments.
India has always been SMUG… The current generation of politicians and visionaries need to give way to a new group of bold and aggressive brand of youngsters… I am 28 and when I was raised, I was always told to not get involved in issues and let the world go on its own, while I continue to live my life… That attitude needs to change… We can not just let the issues in Pakistan pass-by, without making any aggressive moves ourselves…. The next generation of Indians is what the country will need, and it is sad that the only way that would happen is to let the time pass-by…. and while we wait, we will keep our fingers crossed and wait for the miracle savior who is old but aggressive
For india and pakistan to enjoy neighborly relations, india has to stop brainwashing its citizens into believing that pakistan is the enemy. anyone flipping through indias major networks would consider pakistan is just about to blow the door open to their house. go through the books of the central board syllabus and u’ll find that there is a constant brainwashing campaign taking place. These children of today are tomorrows future. do you think there is hope for peace after getting brainwashed from an early age.
Since the two countries have been unable to resolve Cashmir issue, they should stop influencing the people in this region and curve it out as an independent state without ties.
If this issue is done away with I see no other reason for the continued animosity because this the principle reason rivalry.
Keep perspective. India and Pakistan are two nuclear armed nations … period. A nuke will make Mumbai look like a picnic. It will make Lahore look like chump change. This constant animosity is just waiting for a zealot … too much risk. Cut a verifiable deal, make peace, move on … I dislike some of my neighbors too.
Leaders of Pakistan (millitary and Politician) for their own interest always preached Kashmir as the main issue to their population, If kashmir problem is resolved Pakistan may not need to spend so much on defence,
Kashmir is not a problem at all, our problems are our tainted history
we need to fundamentally change our thinking then only we can make progress on our peace talks