Skeptic786
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'Out of Box' Kashmir solution
Afzal Khan
Islamabad - President Gen. Pervez Musharraf has spelled out details of ââ¬Åout of the boxââ¬Â solution to the Kashmir dispute in his book whose excerpts were published by Indian daily The Hindu on Saturday.
It has emerged that the Indian government and through it some leading Indian papers had got the copy of President Musharrafââ¬â¢s book ââ¬ÅIn the Line of Fireââ¬Â several weeks before it was launched in New York Monday.
It may be a safe guess that the manuscript was leaked when the author and publisher Simon & Schuster decided to have it translated in Hindi and publish the Hindi edition from New Delhi. The India premier Dr. Manmohan Singh got the copy too.
The Hindu published excerpts on Saturday, strangely on the opinion pages though it was sort of a scoop which could have been given front page display. The paper published some more details relating to the ââ¬Åout of boxââ¬Â solution of Kashmir issue on Monday.
According to the President the solution has four key elements, which he presents in his 368-page book.
The first element is identification of the geographic regions of the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir that need resolution. This means specifically addressing the question whether all five regions or ââ¬Ëprovincesââ¬â¢ ù the Northern Areas and ââ¬ËAzad Kashmirââ¬â¢ comprising the Pakistan part, and Jammu, Srinagar, and Ladakh comprising the Indian part ù are ââ¬Åon the table for discussion or are there ethnic, political and strategic considerations dictating some give and take.ââ¬Â
The second component of the Musharraf solution is demilitarisation of ââ¬Åthis identified region or regionsââ¬Â and curbing ââ¬Åall militant parts of the freedom struggle.ââ¬Â This would give ââ¬Åcomfort to the Kashmiris who are fed up of the fighting and killing on both sides.ââ¬Â
The third is the introduction of ââ¬Åself-governance or self-rule in the identified regions.ââ¬Â This would enable Kashmiris to ââ¬Åhave the satisfaction of running their own affairs without having an international character and remaining short of independence.ââ¬Â
The fourth element is setting up ââ¬Åa joint mechanism with a membership of Pakistanis, Indians and Kashmiris overseeing the self-governance and dealing with residual subjects common to all identified regions and those subjects that are beyond the scope of self-governance.ââ¬Â
ââ¬ÅI have myself spent hours on many a day pondering over a possible `out of the boxââ¬â¢ solution,ââ¬Â explains General Musharraf in the chapter titled ââ¬ÅInternational Diplomacyââ¬Â in Part Six of his book. He adds: ââ¬ÅThe idea that I have evolved which ought to satisfy Pakistan, India and the Kashmiris involves a partial stepping back by all.ââ¬Â He clarifies that ââ¬Åthe idea is purely personal and would need refinement and selling to the public by all involved parties for acceptance as a via media.ââ¬Â
The Hindu noted that the four elements in the Musharraf ââ¬Åvia mediaââ¬Â solution need some explanation. The first element seems to imply that, with Pakistan not pressing its claims on Jammu and Ladakh regions or ââ¬Åprovincesââ¬Â and India not pressing its claims on the Northern Areas and ââ¬ËAzad Kashmir,ââ¬â¢ the focus should be on the hotly disputed zone, the Kashmir Valley.
ââ¬ÅFrom the time of Jawaharlal Nehru, India has been opposed to any such sectarian or religious ââ¬Åregionalisationââ¬Â of the Jammu and Kashmir problem.
The second element calls for the demilitarisation essentially of the Kashmir Valley or at least parts of it. The third element implies a high degree of autonomy, ââ¬Åself-rule,ââ¬Â essentially for the Kashmir Valley. This too goes against the grain of the secular Indian position that all the regions or ââ¬Åprovincesââ¬Â of Jammu and Kashmir should have the same degree of autonomy. As for the fourth element, the joint mechanism, it would mean for the Kashmir Valley a degree of autonomy or ââ¬Åfreedomââ¬Â going far beyond the 1952 Delhi agreement between Prime Minister Nehru and Sheikh Abdullah, which was of course meant to provide Jammu and Kashmir a much wider degree of autonomy than that enjoyed by any other State of the Union but was never fully implemented,ââ¬Â the paper said.
http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/sep-2006/26/index.php
Afzal Khan
Islamabad - President Gen. Pervez Musharraf has spelled out details of ââ¬Åout of the boxââ¬Â solution to the Kashmir dispute in his book whose excerpts were published by Indian daily The Hindu on Saturday.
It has emerged that the Indian government and through it some leading Indian papers had got the copy of President Musharrafââ¬â¢s book ââ¬ÅIn the Line of Fireââ¬Â several weeks before it was launched in New York Monday.
It may be a safe guess that the manuscript was leaked when the author and publisher Simon & Schuster decided to have it translated in Hindi and publish the Hindi edition from New Delhi. The India premier Dr. Manmohan Singh got the copy too.
The Hindu published excerpts on Saturday, strangely on the opinion pages though it was sort of a scoop which could have been given front page display. The paper published some more details relating to the ââ¬Åout of boxââ¬Â solution of Kashmir issue on Monday.
According to the President the solution has four key elements, which he presents in his 368-page book.
The first element is identification of the geographic regions of the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir that need resolution. This means specifically addressing the question whether all five regions or ââ¬Ëprovincesââ¬â¢ ù the Northern Areas and ââ¬ËAzad Kashmirââ¬â¢ comprising the Pakistan part, and Jammu, Srinagar, and Ladakh comprising the Indian part ù are ââ¬Åon the table for discussion or are there ethnic, political and strategic considerations dictating some give and take.ââ¬Â
The second component of the Musharraf solution is demilitarisation of ââ¬Åthis identified region or regionsââ¬Â and curbing ââ¬Åall militant parts of the freedom struggle.ââ¬Â This would give ââ¬Åcomfort to the Kashmiris who are fed up of the fighting and killing on both sides.ââ¬Â
The third is the introduction of ââ¬Åself-governance or self-rule in the identified regions.ââ¬Â This would enable Kashmiris to ââ¬Åhave the satisfaction of running their own affairs without having an international character and remaining short of independence.ââ¬Â
The fourth element is setting up ââ¬Åa joint mechanism with a membership of Pakistanis, Indians and Kashmiris overseeing the self-governance and dealing with residual subjects common to all identified regions and those subjects that are beyond the scope of self-governance.ââ¬Â
ââ¬ÅI have myself spent hours on many a day pondering over a possible `out of the boxââ¬â¢ solution,ââ¬Â explains General Musharraf in the chapter titled ââ¬ÅInternational Diplomacyââ¬Â in Part Six of his book. He adds: ââ¬ÅThe idea that I have evolved which ought to satisfy Pakistan, India and the Kashmiris involves a partial stepping back by all.ââ¬Â He clarifies that ââ¬Åthe idea is purely personal and would need refinement and selling to the public by all involved parties for acceptance as a via media.ââ¬Â
The Hindu noted that the four elements in the Musharraf ââ¬Åvia mediaââ¬Â solution need some explanation. The first element seems to imply that, with Pakistan not pressing its claims on Jammu and Ladakh regions or ââ¬Åprovincesââ¬Â and India not pressing its claims on the Northern Areas and ââ¬ËAzad Kashmir,ââ¬â¢ the focus should be on the hotly disputed zone, the Kashmir Valley.
ââ¬ÅFrom the time of Jawaharlal Nehru, India has been opposed to any such sectarian or religious ââ¬Åregionalisationââ¬Â of the Jammu and Kashmir problem.
The second element calls for the demilitarisation essentially of the Kashmir Valley or at least parts of it. The third element implies a high degree of autonomy, ââ¬Åself-rule,ââ¬Â essentially for the Kashmir Valley. This too goes against the grain of the secular Indian position that all the regions or ââ¬Åprovincesââ¬Â of Jammu and Kashmir should have the same degree of autonomy. As for the fourth element, the joint mechanism, it would mean for the Kashmir Valley a degree of autonomy or ââ¬Åfreedomââ¬Â going far beyond the 1952 Delhi agreement between Prime Minister Nehru and Sheikh Abdullah, which was of course meant to provide Jammu and Kashmir a much wider degree of autonomy than that enjoyed by any other State of the Union but was never fully implemented,ââ¬Â the paper said.
http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/sep-2006/26/index.php