The diplomatic bruises sustained by Pakistan in the wake of the August 2019 developments will take a long time to heal. Bilateral relations between the two South Asian nuclear states have nosedived ever since the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. From downgrading diplomatic presence in each other’s capital to the talk of changes in the Indus Waters Treaty and even the future of AJK, the South Asian geopolitical landscape has been witnessing a tense situation. The accidental landing of the Brahmos missile in Pakistan and a few incidences of violation of sea, ground, and air space would keep strategists on both sides busy - wondering.

The voices of human rights violations particularly in Indian-held Kashmir coupled with allegations of export-import of cross-border terrorism would keep generating intangible yet conceivable anxiety – what next?

Question: In such an environment of sheer mistrust and animosity, could anyone even think of commencing bilateral trade between the two countries? Is the idea even conceivable?

Narendra Modi’s meaningful smile and occasional mocking remarks coupled with Jayshankar’s outright dismissive attitude towards Pakistan would cause severe distress to Pakistani Think Tanks and the Foreign Office alike. At multilateral forums, Pakistan and India were seen using the K and T words frequently as the international community would look the other way. Neither would Kulbhushan Yadav’s capture nor dissemination of dossiers on India’s statesponsored terrorism caught the world’s attention. The announcement that Pakistan was ‘irrelevant’ to India would further aggravate matters. Issuance of regular PRs from Islamabad on various ‘matters of concern’ and its insistence that no........

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