There is a new moment in Pakistan. India must build on it. What do the recent elections in Pakistan mean for India? Should India approach the re-emergence of Nawaz Sharif with an abundance of caution, or with a bias for hope? The answer depends on how one views politics. Is politics, especially among adversaries, always a prisoner of history? Or, can politics also create new opportunities?

It is a judicious truism, “Friends may change but not neighbors”. Pakistan and Afghanistan are century old neighbors. Nevertheless, their history records many ups and downs in mutual relations. The Durand line, bone of discontent has served one of the underlying reasons, eroding the trust and confidence in this relation. The Durand Line is the 1893 British-mandated border between the two countries. It is recognized by Pakistan, but not by Afghanistan. Presently this border has turned into save havens for militants and terrorists seeking covert and overt backings.

The hope among some in India of better bilateral relations with Pakistan under Nawaz Sharif as Prime Minister could well be the undoing of his India policy even before it is crafted.

The Protocol signed in April 2003 provides an institutional framework to review the full range of Bangladesh-Sri Lanka bilateral relations at the meetings at foreign secretary level. At the second foreign secretary level consultation, many significant decisions were taken at the meeting between the foreign secretaries.

As Indian prisoner in Pakistan Sarabjit Singh fights for his life in a hospital in Lahore, his plight is a reminder that we need to establish a humane and forward looking mechanism for treating Indian and Pakistani nationals in each other’s custody. Though it is not going to be easy, we need to move in this direction. But first the Sarabjit matter.

New Delhi has announced various measures to revive the economy. These range from imposing new taxes on the super-rich to lowering the public deficit and creating a more investment-friendly environment. Yet, there's another step that could bring a major boost to India's economy: more trade with Pakistan. Officials in New Delhi have disclosed in private conversations with Pakistani business leaders that trade liberalisation could enable the country to enjoy 8 per cent growth.