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| Stop linking Kashmir issue with cordial ties | | | Pakistan Prime Minister,Yousuf Raza Gilani,has reiterated Islamabad's commitment on promoting cordial relations with India and in this context he has laid emphasis on the settlement of the Kashmir issue. This indicates that resolution of the Kashmir issue was key to cordial ties between India and Pakistan. If one reads the latest statement of Gilani,which he made while addressing a group of Indian parliamentarians, now on a visit to Islamabad, between the lines one would come to the conclusion that in the eyes of the establishment in Pakistan relations between New Delhi and Islamabad may not become friendly and cordial unless the Kashmir issue was settled.This way Islamabad's bid for improving relations with New Delhi is conditional and in diplomacy or in politics imposing conditions for maintaining cordial ties make things difficult.After the last Maharaja of Kashmir signed the instrument of accession with New Delhi,which was later ratified by the then popular Kashmiri leader,Sheikh Abdullah,India does not treat the issue as unsettled.
However,if Pakistan continues to insist on the need for resolving the Kashmir issue it needs to adopt a flexible attitude.During the last over 64 years the relations between the two sides have remained tense and at time the level of conflict between India and Pakistan has gone so high that the two have fought four wars,including the Kargil conflict of 1999.And in such a situation there would have been hardly any possibility for the two to settle the most ticklish issue amicably.Islamabad needs to know that for resolving any complicated problem there was need for reducing the trust deficit.Once the confidence building measures,that have been ininitated since 2005,start showing results the chances for resolving the Kashmir issue are likely to brighter than they were till date.And Gilani has shown a sense of realism by admitting that the bilateral talks,having taken place at different levels during the last one year,have started reducing the trust deficit level.Hence Gilani expects Delhi to take in hand measures that could result in the settlement of the Kashmir issue.
As far as the Kashmir issue is concerned the problem may defy any solution if Islamabad continued to stick to its 64 year stand of treating Kashmir as "its life-line."That the problem has become complicated because of the uncompromising stand of Pakistan is known to everyone. You cannot expect a solution to a 60 year old problem if the other party continues to remain inflexible.Still credit needs to given to Gilani who seems to be a supporter of the process of dialogue.He has said that the trust deficit between the two sides has been reduced through the bilateral talks that have been going on at various levels during the last one year.He has expressed his hope that the upcoming talks between the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan cement the confidence building programme which could set the stage for the resolution of the Kashmir issue.It would be in the interest of peace in the Indian subcontinent if Pakistan shows high dose of flexibility for the sustenance and survival of the process of dialogue with India.For the time being Islamabad should keep the Kashmir issue under the carpet and instead work for promoting cordial ties needed for peace and progress.Let the level of trade and travel between the two sides increase and improve that may be another way to remove mistrust and misgivings between the two sides.The two sides can live as friends even if the Kashmir issue is allowed to freeze.(eom)
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