Better sense should prevail

Pakistan has submitted report on Mumbai terror attacks to India, and a case has been registered against terrorists and their mastermind. India on Friday said certain actions taken by Pakistan with regard to the Mumbai Mayhem were a positive development. India, however, urged Islamabad "to take credible action of dismantling the terror infrastructure on its territory."
Pakistan has rightly taken exception to the second part of the statement about "credible action." Barring Pakistan's detractors, everyone knows that Pakistan is at war with the terrorists. However, it is not in good taste to recount every now and then the sacrifices Pakistan has made by joining the War On Terror.
India and the US should trust Pakistan especially when top political and military leadership has vowed to crush militancy and continue military operation till the revival of complete peace in FATA and Swat. There is a perception that India would continue with the litany of doing more to pressurise Pakistan to exacerbate the volatile situation so that Pakistan forgets about the Kashmir dispute.
India has to realise that in case Pakistan is destabilised, extremists will then be well entrenched and create anarchic conditions. Would India like to have violence next door? Indian leadership should, therefore, understand that a strong and progressive Pakistan is not only in the interest of India but also in the interest of the entire region, as destabilisation could transcend its borders and engulf India. However, it is heartening that tension between India and Pakistan has somewhat eased, and it is hoped that India would extend its cooperation to take the investigations to the logical conclusion.
Anyhow, India should also take steps to rein in its militants and fundamentalists including Advani and those who raise slogans to establish Ram-Raj in India. It has to be mentioned that war between two nuclear states with credible delivery system is not an option. And only an imbecile can think of using nuclear weapons.
Indian leadership, on the basis of India's size, population and resources, has for long aspired to be a regional power. The US, the sole superpower, has its own global interests including containing China, and is wooing India to assume the role of a front line state. Of course, US and Indian interests converge here but this policy is fraught with dangers.