IT is, indeed, shocking that India is consistently scuttling all moves aimed at reducing tension in the region and holding meaningful dialogue to settle unresolved disputes. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif twice extended an olive branch to New Delhi in a few months but received cold-shouldered response as is evident from the remarks made by the spokesperson of the Indian External Affairs Ministry who claimed that an ‘environment free of terror and hostility’ is necessary to restart talks with Pakistan.
The two countries and the entire region are paying a heavy price of persistent tension as they are unable to concentrate fully on their plans and programmes designed to improve the lot of teeming millions facing almost similar issues and problems. The region is also deprived of the trans-national projects that could have promoted regional connectivity and resultantly improved prospects for intra-regional trade and investment. It was in this backdrop that first in January this year the Prime Minister of Pakistan made an offer to hold talks with India on all unresolved matters but India’s response was that the timing was not suitable and that ‘there should be a conducive atmosphere which does not have terror, hostility or violence’. A few days back, PM Shehbaz Sharif reiterated his offer of talks pointing out that wars offer no solution to problems as the two countries fought three wars in the past 75 years, which resulted in economic deprivation and a shortage of resources. The argument advanced by the Prime Minister made a sense to all pro-peace lobbies as he emphasized the two countries cannot become normal neighbours unless abnormalities were removed, serious issues understood and addressed through peaceful and meaningful discussions. However, India is avoiding talks labelling baseless accusations against Pakistan vis-à-vis Jammu and Kashmir where an indigenous freedom struggle is continuing for decades despite draconian measures adopted by the occupation forces over the last seven decades. Four years back, in a bid to hoodwink the international public opinion, India changed the constitutional status of the disputed territory and initiated a multi-pronged strategy to change the demographic composition of the territory which is predominantly inhabited by Muslims but New Delhi stands exposed before the world community because of the principled stance adopted by Pakistan and most importantly the indomitable spirit of Kashmiris, who have demonstrated to the world that nothing short of right of self-determination as pledged to them under the relevant resolutions of the United Nations is acceptable to them. That the Indian strategy miserably failed was highlighted by the response of the important countries to India’s ploy to hold international moots in the disputed territory. India’s opposition to talks with Pakistan on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir is nothing new as throughout history it tried to avoid meaningful discussions on different pretexts. It went to the extent of staging engineered attacks on the Indian parliament to malign Pakistan, keep it under pressure and create an excuse to avoid talks. No doubt, the offer of talks by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was not unconditional as Pakistan legitimately felt there was no point in talking until New Delhi retracted August 05, 2019 illegal and unilateral actions, restoring previous status of the disputed territory. But this stance of Pakistan is quite understandable as Jammu and Kashmir is a universally acknowledged dispute which is also pending on the UN agenda since long and India cannot alter its status unilaterally. Pakistan only wants peaceful resolution of the conflict as guaranteed by the UN and in line with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. India’s attempts to project Pakistan’s principled support to the cause of Kashmiri people and struggle of Kashmiris as terrorism are aimed at de-legitimizing a just cause. However, Pakistan is undeterred and fully committed to express complete solidarity with struggling Kashmiris for their right to self-determination. This has been echoed in clear cut terms in a message that the Prime Minister of Pakistan issued on the occasion of Youm-e-Istesal. The PM declared in categorical terms that it is Pakistan’s abiding commitment and promise to Kashmiri brothers and sisters that it will echo their voices at every forum until the world takes action and urges India to end its egregious human rights violations and forcible occupation of IIOJK, undo all unilateral and illegal measures it has taken since August 5, 2019, and take necessary steps to carry out a fair and impartial plebiscite in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions. The resolve expressed by Kashmiris and people of Pakistan is a clear rejection of India’s illegal tactics in Occupied Kashmir and a firm message that nothing short of self-determination is acceptable to them.
