Pakistan’s first female foreign minister managed to woo her Indian counterpart and his whole country yesterday, as she stepped into her new role.
Glamorous Hina Rabbani Khar, who at 34 is her country’s youngest ever foreign minister, was grabbing as much attention for her good looks and stylish wardrobe, as she was for securing a ‘new era’ of co-operation in the war on terrorism.
While meeting Indian foreign minister SM Krishna, 79, in New Delhi, the mother-of-two turned heads in a sheer traditional blouse and pearl jewellery, as politicians described her glamour as being a factor in creating a ‘fresh start atmosphere’ during her visit to India.
Chic minister: Pakistan's first female foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar shakes the hand of India's foreign minister SM Krishna in New Delhi
But when they got down to business, the Indian and Pakistani foreign ministers said they have a responsibility to mend ties between the nuclear-armed rival countries to reduce tension in the region, made all the more urgent with a U.S. troops drawdown in Afghanistan looming.
Expectations of a breakthrough in peace talks remain low, but the fact the South Asian rivals are talking is a sign that neither side wants to slide back towards conflict in the world's most dangerous region.
More...Indian police take DNA from little girl British and American tourists believe is missing Madeleine
S.M. Krishna and Hina Rabbani Khar, began talks in New Delhi focused on confidence-building measures, such as relaxing trade and travel restrictions across a ceasefire line dividing disputed Kashmir.
They are unlikely to make much headway on the thorny territorial issue of Kashmir itself, or on fighting militancy.
Fashion prowess: Hina showed off her stylish side in Roberto Cavalli sunglasses and a Hermes Birkin bag when arriving in India
‘We come here with a positive outlook, we feel that the relationship between the two countries should not be held hostage by the past that the two countries have faced,’ Khar, said in her opening remarks, standing next to Krishna.
What the papers are saying
Hina Rabbani Khar has been grabbing headlines for her good looks and charm as well as being the first female foreign minister in Pakistan.
The Times of India adorned their front page with a photograph of the minister in her royal blue traditional blouse (kurta) next to the headline ‘Pak puts on its best face’.
While the Hindi newspaper Navbharat Times described India as ‘sweating over the model-like minister’.
The Mail Today claimed she had brought a ‘Glam touch to Indo-Pak talks’ and commended her Roberto Cavalli sunglasses and black Hermes Birkin handbag, saying ‘Who says politicians can’t be chic?’
Meanwhile on Twitter the Sunday supplement of the Lahore-based Daily Times posted: ‘Khar is all about tasteful accessories – Roberto Cavalli sunglasses, oversized Hermes Birkin bag and classic pearl jewellery. Gorgeous.’
A columnist for the Hinustan Times Sunday magazine, Brunch, tweeted: ‘I think the new foreign minister of Pak, Hina Rabbani Khar, is their weapon of mass distraction.’
And fashion blogger Amara Javed tweeted: ‘Khar is more glamorous than Catherine Middleton. Take THAT world.’
The United States has also stepped up efforts to bridge the divide between the neighbours. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited New Delhi last week and urged them to work on ties as well as stabilising the volatile region.
The countries have fought three full-scale wars since winning independence in 1947, two of them over Kashmir.
India and Pakistan in February resumed a formal peace process broken off after the 2008 attack on financial capital Mumbai by Pakistan-based militants, which killed 166 people.
As in previous peace efforts, progress has been slow and vulnerable to any attempts by Pakistan-based militants, fighting for a Muslim Kashmir, to try to trigger a war by launching another Mumbai-style attack.
But both sides kept their cool in the aftermath of a triple bomb attack in Mumbai this month that killed 24 people and injured more than 130.
Police have yet to identify the suspects but security analysts suspect the home-grown Indian Mujahideen.
In the past, the success of talks has often come down to personalities.
Last year a news conference by then-Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Krishna descended into a public tit-for-tat spat.
Attention will this time fall on how Khar, only appointed last week, manages her highest-profile foreign trip yet and Krishna, often criticised for lacking diplomatic clout.
PROXY WAR?
Peace across the heavily militarised frontier between India and Pakistan is crucial for the United States to draw-down troops and stabilise Afghanistan without sparking off a proxy war between New Delhi and Islamabad in that country.
U.S. plans to start pulling troops out of Afghanistan, a country both India and Pakistan have long competed over for influence, add a fresh challenge to an already volatile, yet strategic region.
Making waves: The foreign minister has been hitting headlines for her good looks and glamorous style
'It is the interest of peace not only for our two countries but the entire region and beyond.
'Perhaps we owe this to ourselves as well as to the succeeding generations to both the Indians and Pakistanis,' Krishna said.
A sense of goodwill is apparent, although it is too early to say whether that will last given the mutual distrust and domestic issues which have often abruptly halted any progress.
Pakistan is keen to move forward on discussing the disputed territory of Kashmir, while India wants its neighbour to bring to justice suspects not just behind 2008 Mumbai attacks, but also a number of other attacks against India.
But efforts to focus on less contentious issues may be the best way to steadily reduce distrust, say diplomats.
****report from newspapers
