R2D2
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Relations with India
Historically, Hindus and the Muslims lived peacefully together for a thousand years under the Muslim rulers. The Muslim governments were composed of Hindu officers in the revenue department as well as court officials, generals and governors. Most of the Muslims in India are converts from Hindus with many of the tribes like Rajputs and Jats having both Muslim, Hindu and Sikh members.
However, under the British rule, the Urdu-Hindi Controversy was used as a pretext to flame the communal differences. The only difference was between the Hindi and the Urdu script with the spoken language being almost the same. Even today, people from Pakistan watch Hindi movies and fully understand them.
During the freedom struggle against the British rule, Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims came together under the Congress banner and struggled together. Abul Kalam Azad who initially campaigned for Islamic rule joined Congress and became the Congress President. Similarly, the Indian Revolutionaries formed the Azad Hind Government in Kabul with Muslim, Hindu and Sikh members. Abdul Ghaffar Khan or Bacha Khan with his Khudai Khidmatgar Movement had a political alliance with Congress.
Since the creation of Pakistan, relations between Pakistan and India have been antagonistic over the issue of Kashmir and the two countries joined opposite Super Power camps. The Kashmir problem in addition to being a human rights issue is also a water issue which is a lifeline for Pakistan as almost all the rivers coming to Pakistan have their origins in Indian Kashmir. Global Warming has become a hot issue for the governments of India and Pakistan as the farmers in both the countries are severely affected. India has upped the ante by building Dams and Reservoirs on almost all the rivers thus reducing the water flow to Pakistan and affecting its lifeline agriculture negatively.
In this context, if India allows liberal release of water to Pakistan from its rivers then the problem of animosity between the two countries can be reduced. The issue of Kashmir human rights situation has almost subsided. However, if the water issue is not solved, then Pakistani establishment can again raise the issue of Kashmir militancy.
If we have peace with India, it can help us by being a powerful voice for the Muslims in the World Forums. We can also have trade between the two countries as Pakistan faces problems in meeting the food needs of its citizens.
For peace to happen, Pakistan and India will have to follow a Non-Aligned stance in international politics and avoid joining the Super Power camps of USA or China. The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) was successful during the rivalry between USA and USSR as an alternative bloc of those countries who did not want to join the antagonistic blocs.