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| As Mush’s possible exit nears, Pak readies to call on UN on Kashmir | | | New Delhi | Aug 13
With Pakistan refusing to heed to New Delhi’s advice to not interfere in what essentially are India’s ‘internal matters’, the Islamic Republic appears to be headed towards the pre-Musharraf democratic era when Indo-Pak relationship always had Kashmir at its epicentre.
This line of thought in the political establishment in Delhi gained credence on Wednesday when Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi again, for the second time in a week, condemned what it called the "excessive” use of force against the people of Kashmir. He also went ahead to demand an immediate end to the J&K violence and set in motion the process to call on the UN on the issue.
Pakistan has "set in motion" the process to call on the "international community, in particular the UN, Organisation of the Islamic Conference and human rights organisations to take notice" of the “deteriorating” situation in J&K, Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Sadiq said.
The world community and global organisation would also be asked to "impress upon India to observe restraint and rein in the extremist elements that are seeking economic destruction of the Kashmiri people", the spokesman added.
Qureshi also expressed concern at reported attacks on the life and property of Muslims in the state and even took special interest in expressing "great sorrow and grief" at news of the death of All Parties Hurriyat Conference leader Shaikh Abdul Aziz during a protest.
But his spokesman, while replying to a question on India's assertion that Pakistan's statements on the Kashmir issue could affect the composite dialogue process, said Jammu and Kashmir was a "disputed territory" according to UN resolutions.
The composite dialogue process too "considers Kashmir a disputed territory" and the Kashmir issue was the "second item on the agenda of the dialogue process", the spokesman said. He however added that the situation in Kashmir would not affect the composite dialogue.
With this renewed interest in Kashmir by the ‘new bosses’ in Pakistan now coinciding with the possible exit of Musharraf, who had ruled for over 9 years, it gets amply clear that Kashmir is now going to be at the centre stage of all future engagements with India.
It surely seems democracy in Pakistan was and will in the future too mean that Kashmir is turned into an emotive issue for the consumption of the masses. And that all promise to tackle terror will be linked meeting of its demands on Kashmir.
The seriousness of the establishment in Pakistan can be gauged by the fact that Pakistan Senate went ahead to pass a resolution condemning the ongoing clashes in J&K over the Amaranth land row.
The resolution accentuated that the Indian Army had violated the ceasefire agreement and that this had led to violence in the region. The Senate had also expressed concern over the economic blockade of the Valley and what it described as attacks on Muslims in the state by Hindus. And the Kashmir issue should be resolved according to the UN mandate.
India’s concerns
The renewed Kashmir banter by Pakistan has led to the development of some serious concerns for India. National Security Advisor M K Narayanan is in fact on record claiming that the exit of Musharraf would act as a fillip for al Qaeda elements operating from within Pakistan.
And it is needless to say that would have a direct bearing on India’s internal security. Moreover, the sudden increase in incidences of the breach of LoC by Pakistani forces has also not gone unnoticed by mandarins in the PMO and North Block.
India maintains that it would not tolerate any interference from other countries in what are its internal matters. The signal is clear from New Delhi but it remains to be seen whether the ‘democratically’ elected Pakistan government would budge. |
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