The time has come to resume the Indo-Pak dialogue process as the democratically-elected government of Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani has just assumed office in Islamabad after over eight years of military dispensation in Pakistan. For almost a year, the composite dialogue process that aims at resolving all major outstanding disputes while also building mutual trust and confidence had virtually come to a standstill owing to prolonged internal political uncertainty in Pakistan. But the arrival of the Gillani-led coalition government of that country’s two leading mainstream political parties – the Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz Sharif) – has created the right kind of atmosphere for the two countries to return to the negotiating table with hope and confidence. There might still be some political uncertainty in that country owing to the strained ties between the leadership of the two mainstream parties and President Pervez Musharraf. 

Delhi has already made the first positive gesture. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in his congratulatory message to Gillani over telephone, has emphasised that the new prime minister would strive to establish best ever relations between the two countries, building on the work done by the leaders of the two leading coalescing parties – late Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. But Singh also made it a point to add to this list Musharraf’s name. He has also conveyed the Indian desire to “accelerate” the dialogue process.

Since the Gillani government can be expected to be pre-occupied with a whole lot of domestic political, economic and administrative issues in the first few weeks, Prime Minister Singh can take the next logical step to pick up the dialogue thread by sending External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to Islamabad on the earliest  date for first high level political contacts with the new government. Such a visit could be also the occasion to launch a new round of composite dialogue to discuss Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek and Wullar barrage issues. It would also be appropriate for Singh to consider undertaking his first bilateral visit to Pakistan as prime minister – a visit that has been pending for over two years now. The effort should be to seize the propitious circumstances to make a determined push for better understanding and relations.