‘Wicked’ Afghan shadow

After a brief spell of charm and glamour created in New Delhi by the visiting Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, with her designer outfit and the usual anodyne, diplomatically worded joint statement following talks with her counterpart on 27 July, it seems that the India-Pakistan peace process has been placed firmly back into its usual position of stalemate. That is what always happens after 'candid, cordial and constructive' talks take place between the two countries.

The outcome was not unexpected, but the fact that India managed to fudge the real issues by bringing the focus on Khar's personal charm and extraordinarily elitist fashion accessories – including, as we have been repeatedly told, Roberto Cavalli sunglasses, oversized Hermes Birkin bag and classic pearl jewellery – did disappoint the people of Pakistan. Given the troubled history and complex nature of India-Pakistan relations, even Paul the Octopus, now presumed dead, could have predicted this deadlock. In his suo moto statement in the Indian Parliament on Khar's visit, India External Affairs Minister S M Krishna revealed that, in their talks, the two sides did not go beyond reiterating their respective positions on Kashmir and agreeing to continue discussions for a 'peaceful negotiated' settlement of this issue.