India has been offered a second chance at peace

Ramesh Vankwani is part of two powerful standing committees in Pakistan’s national assembly—foreign affairs and defence. Vankwani, a member of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, is a Hindu and has been an advocate for peace between India and Pakistan. He is widely tipped to be the new chairperson of the Evacuee Trust Property Board and is the convenor of the Indo-Pak Friendship Group. He was one of 220 foreign delegates invited by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations to participate in the Kumbh Mela. While he was in India recently, Vankwani made an effort to defuse tensions in the wake of the Pulwama attack. He met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh on February 23. His message? Pakistan wants peace. His interview with THE WEEK:

How do you see this playing out?

There has been a reaction and a reaction to a reaction. There will be a situation where there is an escalation. Prime Minister Imran Khan has made an offer of peace. There is still time. This is the second time that he has made this offer. If India lets go of this offer, it will be left to history to judge who is to blame. We have proposed that India should constitute a three-member committee under the minister of external affairs. We will constitute our committee, under the ministry of defence and foreign affairs, to sit down and settle any outstanding problems and grievances. We should sit down and talk.

There are concerns in India about the pilot captured.

If the talks start, we can compromise on all issues. If we do not, then it is war. In that eventuality, whoever gets a chance will leak information. India has more to lose. Imran Khan has made an offer of peace.

You met Sushma Swaraj and Narendra Modi only last week. You offered to mediate between the two countries. What was their attitude then?

Sushmaji was very positive. Prime Minister Modi was also very positive. His speech following my meeting also reflected the same emotion. I did not think that within two days there would be such a reaction. But there was also a lot of pressure on him from the opposition, who wanted to know why he had invited a Pakistani [to the Kumbh].

I am reiterating the proposal, India should formulate a three-member committee and we will have our own. I will be happy to mediate.

Pakistan had plans to go ahead with the Kartarpur corridor project. Does this tension derail these plans?

So far Pakistan has taken no decision that will affect the Kartarpur corridor. We are in a defensive position. But we if we are attacked, then we will have to turn aggressive.