The sudden invitation extended by Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to attend a summit talk in New Delhi might have taken some observers by surprise but in reality it is a calculated move based on South Asian geopolitics.
First, New Delhi can hardly afford a further escalation of tension in Kashmir. Its negotiations with Kashmir militants have produced dismal results. The Kashmir problem has damaged India's international image, undermined its commitment to democratic rule and human rights and badly affected its campaign for a permanent seat on an expanded U.N. Security Council. Talks with Islamabad, bypassing Kashmir militants, may help New Delhi restore peace in Kashmir, at least temporarily, and improve India's global image.
Second, New Delhi's invitation comes with a commitment to see "a stable, secure and prosperous Pakistan," demonstrating its realization that peaceful coexistence is the only pragmatic option for the two nuclear powers. Vajpayee is right to point out that poverty is the common enemy of both countries, which have accumulated nuclear arsenals at their people's expense.