Author: TWI
The involvement of Pakistan in Kashmir’s illegitimate struggle for self-determination is proving counter-productive for several reasons. The prime amongst these is Pakistan’s growing reputation as a terrorist state. Its intelligence agency is accused of siring several extremist organisations, both within and in neighbouring countries. Post 9-11, the argument of a genuine home-grown self-determination struggle has very few takers with all violence being labelled terrorism. With the Mumbai attacks and growing evidence of Pakistan’s involvement, the odds are against Pakistan on all fronts. The Kashmir Movement will do well to distance itself, lest the effort comes into disrepute as solely a brain-child of Pakistan.
The involvement of Pakistan in Kashmir’s illegitimate struggle for self-determination is proving counter-productive for several reasons. The prime amongst these is Pakistan’s growing reputation as a terrorist state. Its intelligence agency is accused of siring several extremist organisations, both within and in neighbouring countries. Post 9-11, the argument of a genuine home-grown self-determination struggle has very few takers with all violence being labelled terrorism. With the Mumbai attacks and growing evidence of Pakistan’s involvement, the odds are against Pakistan on all fronts. The Kashmir Movement will do well to distance itself, lest the effort comes into disrepute as solely a brain-child of Pakistan.
The Government of Pakistan’s statement to its Supreme Court effectively equating the Balochistan imbroglio with the situation in Kashmir, suggesting democratic elections as the way forward to counter insurgency and explicitly calling Kashmir an ‘Indian State’
(Kashmir Watch 03 Nov 2012, Pak Equates Kashmir With Nagaland, Assam, Balochistan
has the proponents of accession to Pakistan or Independence up in disbelief. I am certain that even the Indians cannot believe this windfall of luck capsuled in one well-articulated sentence and must be feeling very smug indeed. The report stated thus, “…We would take a leaf from Indian experience where in the States like Kashmir, East Punjab, Nagaland, Assam and Mizoram, armed insurgency and partial breakdown of government machinery took place for a number of years, still democracy and successive elections afforded the people and the government a good chance to overcome their difficulties and defeat the militants with political process which was allowed to continue unhindered, undisturbed, compromised or violated”.
A bout of indiscretion, or is this a new chapter in the troubled relations between the two neighbours? Of course there has been the expected outrage in Pakistan for a seeming abandonment of its ‘For You, With You, Always’ posture on Kashmir. Rehman Malik, the Pakistan Minister of Interior, must havethrown a fit and banished his Sancho Panza, the one that wrote the statement eulogising India and pouring cold water on the Pakistani stance. Unless, of course, this was a staged wardrobe malfunction to reveal a new posture of opportunism inspired by a forced change of heart given the current geopolitics. Pakistan abandoned the Taliban, their stooge, didn’t they? There were the rudimentary ‘No change in Kashmir stance’ statements dished out as damage control, but not many believe them.
Some factions of the Kashmir movement are behaving like a betrayed pup left out in the rain, with the APHC (M) Pak Chapter in a seminar at Islamabad calling for stern action against the Pak Interior Secretary who has been identified as the culprit in the let-down. The statement will strengthen India’s position as it quotes the nefarious remarks, it rues. The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation League too, organised a protest in Mirpur in Pakistan Administered Kashmir.
It’s evident that Pakistan’s argument is currently weak, not so much because of its content as owing to lack of support in the international arena. There’s a palpable sense of Islamophobia in the countries that matter in international opinion making (read the West) and so Pakistan’s currency of historical logic offered for the Kashmir issue is severely devalued. The proposal to put Kashmir on the back-burner has stemmed most fervently from Islamabad in recent times. Imran Khan has given the clarion call and a tad surprisingly, the Government has picked it up. Even Ms Hina Rabbani Khar’s observations during her visit to India appeared an after-thought, post severe persuasion, perhaps.
Further, the inferno in the West of the country is unlikely to ebb with America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and Pakistan’s forces will continue to be engaged there and within. The infamous Establishment is doing itself no favour by looking the other way as the likes of Lashkar-e-Janghvi butcher the Hazaras, ostensibly with state approval. Again, not prudent to stoke the Kashmir issue in the East for there is likely to be a yawning gap in sentiment and effort. Hence, the jettisoning of jehadi groups to fend for themselves. Concerning bilateral relations, the legitimacy of the Pakistani Establishment hinges on portraying an improved front with India. Having been caught napping (presuming that’s the case) in Osama’s sensational end and at the wrong end of the stick in allegations of support to the Haqqani faction and the Quetta Shura, Islamabad sees an overt display of diplomacy as essential to counter its growing image of a warmonger.
And there’s so much to gain in sleeping with the enemy. India’s economic bus is set to go places, never mind the few glitches, and Pakistan is playing catch-up. Pakistan, and not India, needs the enhancement of trade and economic ties. Perhaps, for once, Pakistan is being pragmatic and the establishment accepts a weak hand. So it doesn’t make sense in pressing the Kashmir issue at this juncture when their own house is up in flames.
The threat of balkanisation of Pakistan is perhaps the acutest now with rebellion gaining ground in several quarters. If Kashmir be India’s Achilles ’ Heel, Pakistan is almost suffering from multiple organ failure. With Western schools of thought propagating the Balkanisation of Pakistan for ease of management of the terrorist’s safe havens, several quarters are trying to take advantage of Pakistan’s descent into chaos - Balochistan, Sindhudesh, Pakhtunistan, Republic of Gigit-Baltistan, Islamic Republic of Waziristan and Jinnahpur are some aspiring new states, the last one being contentious with allegations of it being a State-imagined movement to cut-to-size the firebrand Altaf Hussain, leader of the Muttahida Quami Movement. Nevertheless, the common Pakistani could do with a little bit of security and prosperity. Never mind if it comes at the cost of leaving the Kashmiris out in the cold. Better to consolidate what Pakistan has than to nurture hopes of assimilation of Kashmir.
The involvement of Pakistan in Kashmir’s illegitimate struggle for self-determination is proving counter-productive for several reasons. The prime amongst these is Pakistan’s growing reputation as a terrorist state. Its intelligence agency is accused of siring several extremist organisations, both within and in neighbouring countries. Post 9-11, the argument of a genuine home-grown self-determination struggle has very few takers with all violence being labelled terrorism. With the Mumbai attacks and growing evidence of Pakistan’s involvement, the odds are against Pakistan on all fronts. The Kashmir Movement will do well to distance itself lest the effort comes into disrepute as, solely, a brain-child of Pakistan.
Nadir Mir, a retired Brigadier of the Pakistan Army and author of ‘Gwadar on the Global Chessboard’, in an article in The Nation, recently highlighted the Pakistan interest in Kashmir by calling for a referendum in Pakistan over whether Kashmir should be handed over to India! This, according to him, should put to rest any apprehensions on the stance of the Government of Pakistan concerning Kashmir. For, he reasons, the people’s voice matters over truant government officials since Kashmir is a democracy. But is it really? Need someone assuage his sentiments by telling him explicitly, since he does not seem to take the not-so-subtle hints from the past several years, that Kashmiris want Independence? They want to be masters of their own destiny. No India, no Pakistan. Independence. How difficult is that to understand?
No article on Kashmir and Indo-Pak relations is complete without the mention of the liberals and the consequent inter-government posturing. Insofar as the liberals on either side of the International Border or Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir are concerned, I’ll give them a stutter and two yawns. Their theories on people to people contact are interesting, make it to the news and involve mostly the hoi polloi. Views from across invariably find relevance in the other country’s media and are projected as proof of the strains of bonhomie that exists in either camp. But this is undoubtedly what all sane minds have been pressing for all along with the governments playing truant, exercising acute control and sometimes clearly dragging their feet. Both countries have imaginary ghosts and real extremists, which threaten the process. Denial of visas and cancelling of cricket tours are the tools for exercising control. Though primarily, the intent is not honest from either side to start with. Each proposes what's in its interest and refuses if the other side is seen to benefit. Both gauge and over-read the likely fallouts to an unrealistic degree. The people are only incidental benefactors or sufferers. Sometimes it might just be more fruitful to follow the heart than the mind. Thawing of relations requires a serious people's movement and not only from the well-heeled glitterati but also from the common man who is sick and tired of this mindless animosity.
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