Pakistan’s best known Indophile couple are here for Valentine’s Day. Najam Sethi, editor-in-chief of Friday Times and Daily Times, and his columnist wife Jugnu Mohsin are in the capital on a week’s visit till February 19, ‘‘attending the World Book Fair, catching up with pals in publishing and media’’ and maybe meeting a few politicians too. For Sethi it must seem just so different from when he was previously in India, in April 1999. Then, delivering a speech in Delhi, he had ‘‘advocated peace with India’’ and a ‘‘reversal of radical Islam.’’ A week later, on his return home, he had found himself arrested by the Nawaz Sharief government, accused of treason. Today the large (and large-hearted) man laughs off ‘‘those very unfortunate events, now behind me.’’ He takes care to add that, ‘‘A lot of what I said in that speech is now being said by General Musharraf.’’ Yesterday’s heresy is today’s wisdom. Oxymoronic as it may sound, Sethi is a romantic realist. From Shimla, 1973, to Lahore, 1999, India and Pakistan have gone through numerous peace ‘episodes’ but he is ‘‘more optimistic this time than previously.’’ He says he has three reasons to be so. First, ‘‘both India and Pakistan are listening to the United States behind the scenes’’ and Washington would like both countries to make ‘‘discernible’’ progress. Two, the ‘‘two countries have agreed to talk without pre-conditions.’’ As recently as in Agra in 2001, Sethi points out, ‘‘Pakistan was insistent on Kashmir and India on the terrorism issue.’’ Three, ‘‘there is a change of mindset in the Pakistani establishment,’’ a recognition that ‘‘in the case of the low-intensity conflict with India, the cost-benefit ratio has been overturned.’’ Post-9/11, the transformation on Afghanistan, Kashmir and of pushing ‘‘moderation’’ rather than ‘‘political Islam’’ domestically have to go hand in hand. Nor has it been a one-sided change. ‘‘Both countries tried to make the other budge’’ but the other did not budge, says Sethi. If the Pakistani establishment has discovered the limitations of low-intensity jihad, the Indian government ‘‘mobilised troops at the border, got ready for war’’ but in the end realised it couldn’t be done. Left with no option, the two have now decided to try peace. Sethi is careful to delink the systemic changes from personalities. ‘‘I have spoken of a new mindset of the Pakistani establishment,’’ he says, ‘‘not just of General Musharraf.’’ Nor is he entirely convinced that peace is a byproduct of a military man ruling in Islamabad and a right-wing government in Delhi. ‘‘We almost went to war with the same combination,’’he smiles. Not suprisingly, Sethi’s and Moshin’s first full day in New Delhi — they arrived last evening—found them confronting the ubiquitous cricket question. Should the tour go ahead? Sethi is in no doubt at all, ‘‘In Pakistan, we were under the impression it was a set series . The excitement there is palpable. We have a new team, yours is more mature, you have some very good batsmen.’’ So if the tour falls through will it affect the mood? The Friday gentleman is categorical as ever, ‘‘The media will write about how the elections stopped the tour but the people will not see it that way. They will think India has been bloodyminded. As a confidence-building measure, this tour must go ahead.’’ Amen.
