PAK-INDIA Dialogue: Single-Point-Agenda: KASHMIR | PKKH.tv
PKKH Exclusive | By Atiq Durrani
KASHMIR Conflict: One of the oldest unresolved problem pending in the United Nations dates back to 1947. According to the resolution adopted by UNCIP (United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan) on 13 August 1948, the question of the accession of the State of Jammu and Kashmir to India or Pakistan was going to be decided through a free and impartial plebiscite, but that never happened.
At present India administers 43% of Kashmir, Pakistan Administered Kashmir is 37% and 20% of Kashmir is under the administration of China. China settled its border disputes with Pakistan in the Trans Karakoram Tract in 1963 with the provision that the settlement was subject to the final solution of the Kashmir dispute. In 1962 Sino-Indian war was fought in this territory and in 2006 Chinese ambassador to India claimed that all of Arunachal Pradesh is Chinese territory this was followed up with a military build-up, and numerous incursions into Sikkim, some penetrating by more than a kilometer.
United Nations Stance on Kashmir
United Nations consider Kashmir as a disputed territory between India and Pakistan.
Resolution 47: The final disposition of the State of Jammu and Kashmir will be made in accordance with the will of the people expressed through free and impartial plebiscite conducted under the auspices of the United Nations. For this purpose India and Pakistan will remove its troops from Kashmir.
UN asked Pakistan to remove its troops, after which India was also to withdraw the bulk of its forces. This resolution was accepted by both India and Pakistan.
Resolution 1172: Although this resolution was mainly related to the nuclear tests conducted by India and Pakistan in 1998 but it also states that bilateral dialogue has to be the basis of India-Pakistan relations and mutually acceptable solutions have to be found for outstanding issues including Kashmir.
Indian Stance
India consider all the Kashmir as integral part of India Including the 37% in Pakistan and 20% in China as signed by Maharaja Hari Singh (erstwhile ruler of the State) on 25 October 1947.
Resolution 47: The United Nations, which monitors the cease-fire line, has called for a free and open vote in Kashmir to determine its future. Pakistan favors such a plebiscite, but India has never allowed one to be held. According to India this cannot be implemented because Pakistan has failed to remove its troops from Kashmir, neglecting the fact the Pakistan is not in control of the Azad (free) part Kashmir but only its ally.
Resolution 1172: India accepts this resolution more valid because this resolution does not call for plebiscite and urges India and Pakistan to solve this conflict thru dialogue.
But, so far, in all agenda forwarded for dialogue between Pakistan and India, India does not consider Kashmir as a core issue. Rather India emphasizes on trust building arrangements in the form of trade, culture and other forms of bilateral relations.
India also blames Pakistan for supporting the militants in Indian Occupied Kashmir. According to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Once Pakistan moves away from this terror-induced coercion, we will be very happy to engage productively with Pakistan to resolve all outstanding issues
Pakistans Stance
Pakistan consider Kashmir as a disputed territory and rejects Indian claims to Kashmir especially the use of the Instrument of Accession misused by Maharaja Hari Singh to unlawfully accede Kashmir to India, in the context that India had refused to recognize both the accession of Junagadh to Pakistan and Independence of Hyderabad. Pakistan also claims that the Maharaja of Kashmir was not even the hereditary ruler of Kashmir at that time, he was merely a British appointee as the Indian Army was already there in Kashmir before the Instrument of Accession. So the Instrument of Accession in presence of Indian Army is not acceptable.
Resolution 47: Pakistan is in favor of free and impartial plebiscite but reluctant to remove troops from Azad Kashmir because on the other side of LoC India is having troops only in the occupied Kashmir that is equal to the total Army of Pakistan.
Resolution 1172: Pakistan also agrees to solve this dispute by dialogue but according to the will of Kashmiri People and consider Kashmir as a core problem between India and Pakistan.
Comparison between Azad Kashmir and Jammu & Kashmir
Comparison between Pakistani Administered Kashmir (Azad Kashmir) and Indian Administered Kashmir (Jammu & Kashmir) is essential to get clear image of the two parts of Kashmir and to understand what the people of Kashmir want.
Security forces in Jammu & Kashmir have committed thousands of serious human rights abuses over the course of the conflict, including extrajudicial killings, disappearances and torture. In last two decades Indian Army martyred about 100,000 Kashmiris in Jammu & Kashmir, 105,970 houses and shops have been destroyed, 107,441 children are orphaned, 10,043 women are molested and 22,764 widowed.
On the other side Azad Kashmir is the most peaceful part under Pakistan administration. Today when most of the Pakistan is under the threat of terrorism, not even a single act of terrorism has happened in Azad Kashmir. This proves that Azad Kashmir is the most peaceful area under Pakistan administration and Jammu & Kashmir is a victim of state terrorism.
I strongly consider that Pakistan has a strong case if we study the results of polls taken in Kashmir on this issue. Results of such polls tell that nobody on the Pakistan side of Kashmir wants to join India and no one in the Indian part of Kashmir wants to be a part of India except the Hindu pundits of Kashmir.
Conclusion
The United Nations has called for a free and open vote in Kashmir to determine its future. Pakistan favors such a plebiscite, but India has never allowed one to be held. Pakistan tried to improve its relation with India in Trade and other issues but always considers Kashmir as a core issue in all dialogues. Pakistan believes that without solving the Kashmir problem it is difficult to improve the relations.
In case of plebiscite Pakistan has to remove its troops from Azad Kashmir but Pakistan Army is reluctant to do so because India is having more than 700,000 troops at the other side of the LoC. Pakistan Army doubts that whenever Pakistan will remove its troops from Azad Kashmir, India will try to capture the area, as done in Siachin. As a trust building measures India should have reduced the number of troops in Jammu & Kashmir. But that never happened.
The dialogue-option has never been taken seriously by India. India wants to discuss all the problems except Kashmir and Pakistan considers Kashmir as a core issue. Without solving Kashmir issue it is difficult to discuss other problems or I will say that there is no problem between India and Pakistan other that Kashmir.
India is trying to treat a cancer patient with the medicines of Flu and cold. They will have to admit that the problem is cancer not the flu and will have to treat the patient for Cancer. Once the cancer is cured other diseases will be cured automatically. India-Pakistans main problem is Kashmir not trade and culture. For Pakistan, it is necessary that India acknowledge that there is a dispute over Kashmir and that it is central to relations.
Kashmir has already lost one generation to violence in the Valley. They want peace in the valley and in their lives, so that they can live a normal life. Indian acknowledgment of Kashmiri grievances is essential to start a fresh dialogue with Pakistan on just a single point agenda that is Kashmir.
Atiq Durrani is an IT professional and student of Mass Communication. Can be reached at atiq.pkkh@gmail.com and tweets at @sunnyDurrani738
Source
PKKH Exclusive | By Atiq Durrani
KASHMIR Conflict: One of the oldest unresolved problem pending in the United Nations dates back to 1947. According to the resolution adopted by UNCIP (United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan) on 13 August 1948, the question of the accession of the State of Jammu and Kashmir to India or Pakistan was going to be decided through a free and impartial plebiscite, but that never happened.
At present India administers 43% of Kashmir, Pakistan Administered Kashmir is 37% and 20% of Kashmir is under the administration of China. China settled its border disputes with Pakistan in the Trans Karakoram Tract in 1963 with the provision that the settlement was subject to the final solution of the Kashmir dispute. In 1962 Sino-Indian war was fought in this territory and in 2006 Chinese ambassador to India claimed that all of Arunachal Pradesh is Chinese territory this was followed up with a military build-up, and numerous incursions into Sikkim, some penetrating by more than a kilometer.
United Nations Stance on Kashmir
United Nations consider Kashmir as a disputed territory between India and Pakistan.
Resolution 47: The final disposition of the State of Jammu and Kashmir will be made in accordance with the will of the people expressed through free and impartial plebiscite conducted under the auspices of the United Nations. For this purpose India and Pakistan will remove its troops from Kashmir.
UN asked Pakistan to remove its troops, after which India was also to withdraw the bulk of its forces. This resolution was accepted by both India and Pakistan.
Resolution 1172: Although this resolution was mainly related to the nuclear tests conducted by India and Pakistan in 1998 but it also states that bilateral dialogue has to be the basis of India-Pakistan relations and mutually acceptable solutions have to be found for outstanding issues including Kashmir.
Indian Stance
India consider all the Kashmir as integral part of India Including the 37% in Pakistan and 20% in China as signed by Maharaja Hari Singh (erstwhile ruler of the State) on 25 October 1947.
Resolution 47: The United Nations, which monitors the cease-fire line, has called for a free and open vote in Kashmir to determine its future. Pakistan favors such a plebiscite, but India has never allowed one to be held. According to India this cannot be implemented because Pakistan has failed to remove its troops from Kashmir, neglecting the fact the Pakistan is not in control of the Azad (free) part Kashmir but only its ally.
Resolution 1172: India accepts this resolution more valid because this resolution does not call for plebiscite and urges India and Pakistan to solve this conflict thru dialogue.
But, so far, in all agenda forwarded for dialogue between Pakistan and India, India does not consider Kashmir as a core issue. Rather India emphasizes on trust building arrangements in the form of trade, culture and other forms of bilateral relations.
India also blames Pakistan for supporting the militants in Indian Occupied Kashmir. According to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Once Pakistan moves away from this terror-induced coercion, we will be very happy to engage productively with Pakistan to resolve all outstanding issues
Pakistans Stance
Pakistan consider Kashmir as a disputed territory and rejects Indian claims to Kashmir especially the use of the Instrument of Accession misused by Maharaja Hari Singh to unlawfully accede Kashmir to India, in the context that India had refused to recognize both the accession of Junagadh to Pakistan and Independence of Hyderabad. Pakistan also claims that the Maharaja of Kashmir was not even the hereditary ruler of Kashmir at that time, he was merely a British appointee as the Indian Army was already there in Kashmir before the Instrument of Accession. So the Instrument of Accession in presence of Indian Army is not acceptable.
Resolution 47: Pakistan is in favor of free and impartial plebiscite but reluctant to remove troops from Azad Kashmir because on the other side of LoC India is having troops only in the occupied Kashmir that is equal to the total Army of Pakistan.
Resolution 1172: Pakistan also agrees to solve this dispute by dialogue but according to the will of Kashmiri People and consider Kashmir as a core problem between India and Pakistan.
Comparison between Azad Kashmir and Jammu & Kashmir
Comparison between Pakistani Administered Kashmir (Azad Kashmir) and Indian Administered Kashmir (Jammu & Kashmir) is essential to get clear image of the two parts of Kashmir and to understand what the people of Kashmir want.
Security forces in Jammu & Kashmir have committed thousands of serious human rights abuses over the course of the conflict, including extrajudicial killings, disappearances and torture. In last two decades Indian Army martyred about 100,000 Kashmiris in Jammu & Kashmir, 105,970 houses and shops have been destroyed, 107,441 children are orphaned, 10,043 women are molested and 22,764 widowed.
On the other side Azad Kashmir is the most peaceful part under Pakistan administration. Today when most of the Pakistan is under the threat of terrorism, not even a single act of terrorism has happened in Azad Kashmir. This proves that Azad Kashmir is the most peaceful area under Pakistan administration and Jammu & Kashmir is a victim of state terrorism.
I strongly consider that Pakistan has a strong case if we study the results of polls taken in Kashmir on this issue. Results of such polls tell that nobody on the Pakistan side of Kashmir wants to join India and no one in the Indian part of Kashmir wants to be a part of India except the Hindu pundits of Kashmir.
Conclusion
The United Nations has called for a free and open vote in Kashmir to determine its future. Pakistan favors such a plebiscite, but India has never allowed one to be held. Pakistan tried to improve its relation with India in Trade and other issues but always considers Kashmir as a core issue in all dialogues. Pakistan believes that without solving the Kashmir problem it is difficult to improve the relations.
In case of plebiscite Pakistan has to remove its troops from Azad Kashmir but Pakistan Army is reluctant to do so because India is having more than 700,000 troops at the other side of the LoC. Pakistan Army doubts that whenever Pakistan will remove its troops from Azad Kashmir, India will try to capture the area, as done in Siachin. As a trust building measures India should have reduced the number of troops in Jammu & Kashmir. But that never happened.
The dialogue-option has never been taken seriously by India. India wants to discuss all the problems except Kashmir and Pakistan considers Kashmir as a core issue. Without solving Kashmir issue it is difficult to discuss other problems or I will say that there is no problem between India and Pakistan other that Kashmir.
India is trying to treat a cancer patient with the medicines of Flu and cold. They will have to admit that the problem is cancer not the flu and will have to treat the patient for Cancer. Once the cancer is cured other diseases will be cured automatically. India-Pakistans main problem is Kashmir not trade and culture. For Pakistan, it is necessary that India acknowledge that there is a dispute over Kashmir and that it is central to relations.
Kashmir has already lost one generation to violence in the Valley. They want peace in the valley and in their lives, so that they can live a normal life. Indian acknowledgment of Kashmiri grievances is essential to start a fresh dialogue with Pakistan on just a single point agenda that is Kashmir.
Atiq Durrani is an IT professional and student of Mass Communication. Can be reached at atiq.pkkh@gmail.com and tweets at @sunnyDurrani738
Source
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