The recent attack at an Indian air force base in Pathankot which was followed by an unsuccessful attack on the Indian consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif in Afghanistan seems to be a clear effort to sabotage the ongoing peace process between India and Pakistan. With foreign secretary level meetings just a couple of weeks away, the Indian air base in Pathankot came under attack. Initially it was reported that the base had been cleared of the attackers, however, later it came to light that the assault continued the following day as well. The attackers dressed in Indian Army uniforms entered the air base and opened indiscriminate fire, killing at least seven Indian soldiers.
Pakistan strongly condemned the attack and said that it remains committed to partner with India as well as other countries in the region to completely eradicate the menace of terrorism afflicting the region. However the reaction from the Indian media was aggressive and hostile. Various Indian analysts and television channels were quick to blame the attack on Pakistan even before the preliminary investigations began. The baseless propaganda by segments of Indian media show exactly how difficult the peacemaking process between Pakistan and Indian can be. However to its credit the Indian Government has so far resisted the pressure from groups instigating the Government to adopt an aggressive approach against Pakistan. The leadership of both countries must realize that the peace-process cannot be halted due to such terror attacks. The attacks appear to be a clear effort to derail the peace process between Pakistan and India but for now India has resisted falling for the temptation of canceling talks with Pakistan.
Cool heads must prevail, and the peace-talks between both countries must proceed.
