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| Sharif needs to tame hawkish Gen Sharif to avoid Indo-Pak conflict | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, May 3: Pakistan is not prepared to move an inch beyond its "Sheh rug" (jugular vein) stance while touching or raking up the Kashmir issue. Right from day one of the birth of the Kashmir dispute the successive Governments in Pakistan have been claiming that Kashmir for Pakistan is a jugular vein. This indicates that the very survival or existence of Pakistan without Kashmir is under threat.
What seems to have given new dimensions to Pakistan's chorus on Kashmir being its "Sheh rug" is the way its Army chief, Gen. Raheel Sharif, repeated what successive heads of Governments in Islamabad had said about Kashmir and that too when Pakistan is governed by a duly elected civilian regime.
Calling Kashmir Pakistan's jugular vein is a political statement and should not have been voiced by the Army chief when the country is ruled by a civilian regime headed by Nawaz Sharif. It is sheer political irony that Gen. Raheel Sharif stepped into the Prime Minister's shoes when he, Gen. Raheel, had been picked up by Nawaz Sharif to lead the Army in Pakistan.
Terming Kashmir "Jugular vein" of Pakistan, the Army chief Gen Raheel Sharif has said the issue should be resolved in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of Kashmiris and in line with UNSC resolutions for lasting peace in the region. Gen Sharif has said Kashmir was an internationally recognized dispute.
"Matchless sacrifices offered by Kashmiris will not go in vain," he said. He termed Kashmir as a "Jugular vein" of Pakistan. He called for resolution of the Kashmir issue in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of Kashmiris and in line with United Nations Security Council resolutions.
The resolution of the Kashmir issue is "indispensable" for lasting peace in the region, he said.
Pakistan army is in favour of peace but is always ready to respond to any aggression in a befitting manner. This is the message from Gen. Raheel Sharif to India.
When Islamabad is favouring sustained dialogue for settling all bilateral issues between India and Pakistan and India having responded favourably to Pak plea for negotiations does statements of the type made by Pakistan army chief leave any scope for dialogue? Certainly not. When Pakistan has been saying that Kashmir is its jugular vein it means that Pakistan cannot survive without seeing Kashmir's incorporation with Pakistan. If it is the case why then should there be any dialogue for resolving bilateral problems.
India has rejected Pak's stand on the Kashmir issue. And still Pak army Chief opted for needling India when the ongoing Lok Sabha elections were yet to be completed. And despite their ideological differences both the BJP and the Congress have condemned Gen. Raheel's statement.
Pakistan army chief Raheel Sharif's remark describing Kashmir as "jugular vein" of his country drew sharp reaction from Congress and BJP which condemned the "provocative" and "uncalled for" statement and rejected it. Declaring Jammu and Kashmir as an integral part of India, Finance Minister P Chidambaram told reporters here that the Pakistani General's remarks were "no different" from statements made from the neighboring country in the past and "we should not take them seriously".
"We reject that statement. J&K is an integral part of India and will remain so. I don't think anybody in the world has any doubt about that," he said.
He also noted that J&K recently witnessed elections which were held in democratic and peaceful manner.
BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman termed Sharif's statement as "provocative" and "uncalled for" and said the civilian elected Government there should speak up and ensure that the peace in the region is not disturbed.
"The BJP condemns the provocative and aggressive comments made by Gen. Sharif. It is for the civilian elected Government of Pakistan to speak up so that the region remains peaceful and helps the development of all democracies around," Sitharaman has said.
This way the ball is in the court of Nawaz Sharif and he has to make Islamabad's stand on the Kashmir issue clear so that whatever level of conflict and mistrust had been generated by Gen.Raheel's statement was reduced. |
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