The agreement by India and Pakistan to resolve issues relating to diplomatic civility is yet another pointer of the desire by both countries to turn the page on nearly three years of hostility and acrimony. The harassment of each other’s diplomats had reached such proportions that Islamabad recalled its envoy in Delhi for “consultations”, usually signalling a near-breakdown in ties. The agreement to de-escalate tension on the diplomatic front needs to be read with the muzzling of the guns on the border for over a week and the readiness of both sides to release some prisoners on humanitarian grounds. Add to it regular confabulations between the National Security Advisers, the meeting of the Indus water panel and, finally, the Pakistan foreign minister’s readiness to resume the Composite Dialogue. These initiatives do not look like straws in the wind. Rather they appear to be building blocks to something substantial in the coming days.The Indian side will be tempted to interpret the other side’s readiness to break bread as an indication of its effectiveness in cornering Pakistan. The global Financial Action Task Force’s blackballing of Pakistan and the ever-escalating US bounty on Hafiz Saeed fortify this argument. But Pakistan is also a much sought country for its ability to bring Taliban to the negotiating table. Islamabad’s interests will also be served by tranquility on the LoC because it can then concentrate its military and diplomatic vigour on ensuring a place for its proxies on the high table in Kabul. India needs to take advantage of this window of conviviality that has opened in Islamabad. Currently Pakistan is on its best behaviour after the US pared its military assistance. US President Donald Trump too may not look kindly on diversions on the Indo-Pak border at this time. India needs to turn the corner with Pakistan also because it must be counted as a mature and influential player when the settlement takes place in Afghanistan. However, the trajectory of Indo-Pak ties is seldom without an attempt to muddy the waters. And the challenge will be to keep the ties going while thwarting attempts to put a spanner in the ties.