Delhi must do what little it can to strengthen the civilian, democratic forces in Pakistan | The Indian Express

Delhi must do what little it can to strengthen the civilian, democratic forces in Pakistan | The Indian Express

Written by C. Raja Mohan |Updated: October 31, 2019 11:26:02 am

C. Raja Mohan is Director, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, and contributing editor on foreign affairs for 'The Indian Express'.

Delhi must do what little it can to strengthen the civilian, democratic forces in Pakistan

The current juncture in Pakistan is a good moment for India to speak up on Pakistan’s internal developments. Demanding humane treatment for Sharif and Zardari is the least Delhi can do.

In the east, Pakistan confronts the surprising Indian decision to change the constitutional status of Kashmir and in the west, Islamabad hopes to shape the political transition in Afghanistan and install the Taliban in power. (Illustration: C R Sasikumar)

As he rattles the Pakistani establishment with a big march on Islamabad this week, the Deobandi leader, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, has been accused of fronting for India. Branding political opponents as “agents” of the other county is quite common in Pakistan and India. What is more significant, though, is Delhi’s apparent reluctance to exercise India’s natural leverage in Pakistan’s domestic politics. Could, or should, that change?