JEDDAH, 22 December — The Indian government’s decision to recall its high commissioner (ambassador) in Pakistan and sever train and bus links between the two countries has evoked a mixed response from expatriates.
The mounting tension between India and Pakistan is a matter of great concern for the nationals of the two countries living in the Kingdom as well as those from friendly countries including Saudi Arabia.
New Delhi yesterday recalled its high commissioner to Islamabad and announced that from Jan. 1, it will terminate the Delhi-Lahore bus service as well as the Samjhouta Express train. The move came in protest against the terrorist attack on Indian Parliament on Dec. 13, which India blames on Pakistani intelligence. It has also accused Pakistan of not doing enough to "to nab the perpetrators of terrorism".
Pakistan has condemned the attack, denied any involvement and has called for a joint investigation. But New Delhi rejected a joint inquiry, saying its evidence was conclusive.
While most Indians justified their government’s decision, Pakistanis and other nationals, including some Westerners, regretted the move saying that India has now closed all diplomatic channels.
"I am not surprised," said Yasin Alireza, a prominent Saudi businessman and a subcontinent watcher.
"What is happening is that the disparate elements in the Indian Cabinet — some of whom like L.K. Advani and George Fernandes are hardcore militants — have prevailed. (Atal Behari) Vajpayee, who does not want war, has become more of a coordinator than a prime minister," Alireza said.
"I think war will be a disaster for both, as these countries are already sunk low in poverty. And nobody knows what kind of weapons will be used against each other," he added.
The extremist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will try any trick to remain in power and promoting tension is one of them, concluded Alireza.
With both countries deploying additional troops on their border and the intermittent exchange fire across the line of control in Kashmir, Indian and Pakistani expatriate workers have rallied behind their respective governments, but they too hope that the tension would not lead to an all-out war.
Some said they did not believe war would break out at this stage even though New Delhi keeps threatening retaliatory measures against Pakistan. Others citing the US reaction to the attacks on New York and Washington have argued that India has every right to hunt down those who launch attacks against its interests.
"By ordering his ambassador home, Mr. Vajpaee has closed the door for direct dialogue," said Syed Ehsanul Haque, a civil engineer based in Jeddah.
He said President Pervez Musharraf was among the first few leaders who condemned the attack. He also offered to assist in the investigation and vowed to punish any Pakistan-based group proved to have links with the perpetrators of the attack.
"Any action (by India) without sufficient proof could not be justified. It could not stop the Kashmiris from pursuing their right of self-determination. It would only jeopardize the peace effort which started under the Agra summit."
A majority of Indians said they supported their government’s decision to downgrade diplomatic ties, on the grounds that Pakistan has not done anything to curb cross-border terrorism nor to apprehend the leaders of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad.
"These two organizations are still functioning inside Pakistan and Pakistan government has not done anything to put a curb on them," said Shahid Husain, a sales engineer in a metal company in Dammam.
"It is no secret that Pakistan has been harboring terrorism in Kashmir for more than a decade. There is a difference between supporting a cause and harboring terrorism, and Pakistan has to understand this difference," said Mujtuba Ali from Aligarh, chief accountant of a multinational chartered accountancy firm.
"India has every right to pursue and punish those responsible for the attack against the parliament even if this meant attacking their bases inside Pakistan just as the United States did in Afghanistan. If the Americans can do it in the name of fighting terrorism why not India," asked N. Subhash, an Indian system analyst in Jeddah.
However, there were Indians who called for a cautious approach. "War will not serve the interests of either. Its economic fallout will be enormous," said Pradeep Ahuja, a computer engineer working on a Saudi Aramco project. He said India should look for all other options before snapping ties with Pakistan.
Muzaffar Rizvi, an executive in a medical supplies firm in Alkhobar, echoed his view. He said a war between the two countries would be catastrophic not only for the region but for the entire world as well.
Daniel Christopher, a transport company executive in Dammam, hoped that Pakistan will close down terrorist camps in Azad Kashmir and eventually both countries will return to the negotiating table to sort out the thorny issue of Kashmir.
The Pakistanis were, however, outraged at the Indian move and urged Pakistan President Musharraf to snap all relations with India.
They say Prime Minister Vajpayee is trying to capitalize on the difficult situation that Gen. Musharraf finds himself in as a result of the American-led war in Afghanistan.
"The Indian government has taken a cue from the United States and Israel. They are speaking the same language," said Iftikhar Ali of Peshawar.
"India has been trying to get Pakistan into the terrorist state list. They planned a hijacking of their own plane but it boomeranged. Then came the attack on the Kashmir assembly but that too could not convince the world community of Pakistan’s role. And now they have masterminded this act," said Zulfiqar Rizvi, an architect engineer who hails from Karachi.
Manzour Amjad, a Pakistani plastic factory technician in Jeddah, described the Indian move as a hasty and regrettable step. "Even if India went to war and wiped out what it calls terrorist hideouts in Azad Kashmir, the hostilities will not end unless the Kashmir issue is settled once and for all," he said.
However, they said any armed conflict this time would be totally different from previous confrontations.
Recalling memories of the past three wars fought by the two countries following the partition of the subcontinent in 1947, Altaf Hussein said this time the destruction and suffering would be unmatched and that India would suffer.
"Pakistan has now joined the nuclear club and has the capability to retaliate. This should make Indian leaders think twice before launching an attack," said Hussein, sales manager of a supermarket chain in Jeddah.
Nasser Ali, an Indian whose wife’s family lives across the border in Pakistan, said the termination of the bus and train services would further aggravate the suffering of divided families.
Pakistanis and Indians living in Riyadh also voiced grave concern over the rising tension.
Nasim Kamran, a Pakistani engineer, said New Delhi’s decision to downgrade diplomatic ties will not help to win international support for India to justify its military action, if any in the offing. India, he said, must know that Pakistan has the full potential to respond to any military strike, which will eventually inflict huge losses to lives and property on either side.
Shahid Asraf, an Indian sales executive, is optimistic about the Indo-Pak relations while discounting the possibility of war despite the concern expressed by the United States, China and Russia. He justified India’s action, but warned that it is high time for India and Pakistan and their powerful allies to sit down and work out a security framework for Asia.
Imad Tarek, a Pakistani computer professional, strongly condemned India for launching a full-fledged diplomatic and verbal war against Pakistan. "India’s position is founded on misinformation and an error of judgment," he said.
Jairaj Unny welcomed India’s decision to toughen its stance. "However, I believe that the path to a peaceful future lies in greater Indo-Pak cooperation," said Unny.
Despite the fact that their respective governments are at loggerheads, the Indian and Pakistani community in the Kingdom are living in harmony and they have not allowed the recent events to affect their relations. Both the communities exchanged visits during Eid and organized a number of joint get-togethers.
By Abdul Wahab Bashir in Jeddah, Saeed Haider in Dammam &
M. Ghazanfar Ali Khan in Riyadh
