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| Freezing Kashmir issue may freeze separatists' political fortunes | | |
Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 3: Though the idea for freezing the Kashmir issue for a period of 10 years has been mooted during discussions between non-official players in India and Pakistan,leaders of various separatist outfits in Kashmir have voiced their opposition and objection to this idea.
As far as the back channel diplomatic exercises on promoting peace in the South Asian region is concerned keeping the Kashmir issue in the cold store for 10 years is one of the options suggested by those engaged in track two diplomacy.In fact the idea on freezing the Kashmir issue had been mooted from time to time and what had lent some credibility to the plan was the way President Asif Ali Zardari dished out the idea soon after he assumed power in Islamabad. Zardari had stated that in the interest of cordial ties between Pakistan and India and peace in the subcontinent he would even keep aside the Kashmir issue.
Years ago series of talks between a former senior officer in the Indian Foreign Ministry,K.S.Lamba,and Tariq Aziz,a close aide of former Pakistan President,Gen.Pervez Musharraf,had favoured a five-point plan on easing tension between India and Pakistan over Kashmir.The plan envisaged no change in territories,open borders in Jammu and Kashmir,autonomy for both sides of Kashmir,joint consultative commissions to be set up on both sides of the LOC and demilitarisation.
The Lamba-Tariq plan resembled the four-point proposal on Kashmir mooted by Gen.Pervez Musharraf to a large extent.But both the plans could make no headway because neither Islamabad nor New Delhi accepted them.It is since then that the idea of keeping the Kashmir issue in the cold store is generating hope among people and despair among the separatists in Kashmir.
Though outwardly Kashmiri separatists are heard opposing vehemently any plan to freeze the K-issue inwardly they wish to see the issue remain under the carpet till the political and security scenario in Pakistan improved.Those who claim that inwardly some separatists are in favour of keeping the Kashmir issue in the cold store refer to a suggestion given by Syed Ali Shah Geelani,secretly to Pakistan Foreign Minister,Hina Rabbani Khar,when she had visited India in July last year.
Reports reveal that Geelani had suggested to Khar that the Kashmir issue be kept under the carpet because Islamabad may not be able to discuss the issue with New Delhi from a position of strength in view of growing political instability in Pakistan. He is said to conveyed to Khar that even if the Kashmir issue was kept under the carpet they would keep the st ruggle for liber ation of Kashmir alive.
When the idea of Kashmir issue being kept in the cold store started doing the rounds in r ecent days it rattled the separatists.Syed Ali Shah Geelani,who has been critical of Islamabad since Gen.Musharraf's plan on trade and travel,was the first to oppose any plan on freezing the Kashmir issue.He does not want Islamabad to attach importance to trade and travel but give weightage to the settlement of the Kashmir issue.
The JKLF Chief,Mohd.Yasin Malik,has opposed the idea of placing the Kashmir issue under the carpet for 10 years.He said that it was not possible to freeze the Kashmir issue.He said freezing of Kashmir issue was "not acceptable to us." He suggested to the international community to prevail upon India and Pakistan to settle the Kashmir issue through tripartite talks.
A senior APHC leader,Prof.Abdul Gani Bhat ,said that keeping the Kahsmir issue in the cold store is not possible.He said that those who are of the opinion that if the Kashmir issue was allowed to freeze it would generate peace Bhat said they were suffering from illusions and delusions.He added peace " in South Asian region is linked with the settlement of the Kashmir issue.""Hence in the interest of peace measures be initiated for the settlement of the Kashmir issue,"he said.
Field reports say that while majority of people in the Kashmir valley are for freezing the Kashmir issue which could promote peace and cordial ties between India and Pakistan,needed for economic growth, separatists of all hues are outwardly opposed to it.The reason being that even if the Kashmir issue is kept on the back burner for 10 years these separatists may be forced to shut their shops which have thrived during the last several decades.
For these separatists freezing Kashmir issue may mean freezing their fortunes and hence they would not allow the problem to be kept under the carpet,Instead they would give teeth to the campaign for securing settlement of the Kashmir issue which alone could ensure their survival in politics.(eom) |
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