CBMs and Kashmir?
By the Editor

WITH his crystal-clear and resolute standpoint, President Musharraf has once again called for early settlement of the Kashmir dispute, saying that ‘Made in India’ solution to issue would, in no case be acceptable to Pakistan.

In a television interview, he said that India ought to demonstrate flexibility to resolve this long festering issue between the two countries. Its resolution is essential for peace, security, stability and progress of South Asia, he said.

Amid the passage of time, like rest of the nation, President Musharraf is also feeling disappointed over the Indian attitude towards the peace process between the two countries.

His displeasure naturally stems from the lack of progress on the issue in any manner what-so-ever in the year-long dialogue between the two countries primarily because of India’s age-old and habitual intransigence.

If analyzed with a pragmatic approach, there has been practically no headway on the Kashmir issue despite series of—what is phrased as—the CBMs.

India continues with its frivolous ‘Atoot Ang’ [integral part] rhetoric instead of coming forward with options to resolve the issue in a judicious, realistic and honest way, as President Musharraf has done.

Yet, paradoxically, the Indian leadership has cold shouldered Gen Musharraf’s options, even with an offer of flexibility vis-à-vis the Kashmir dispute, overtly due to the reason that New Delhi is least interested in the resolution of the core issue.

Though behind the scene diplomacy is in progress between the two nuke neighbors, as is evident from Tariq Aziz’s trip to New Delhi, yet such contacts should—at least yield some results on the ground.

True to its traditional policy, India is dragging its feet and is not ready to take up the real issue. It’s resorting to delaying tactics on spiteful pretexts with the sole motive to undermine the dialogue process.

There is, in fact, no optimism whatsoever left in the dialogue process due to Indian tricks. India has taken no step to provide relief to the Kashmiri people, who are being subjected to worst State terrorism in IHK.

The truth is that Kashmiri people are also disillusioned with the Pak-India dialogue process.

It’s, therefore, high time that the US should take a fresh look at the Indian tone and tenor as well as the adamant conduct in the dialogue process and induce New Delhi to shun dilatory tactics and address the Kashmir issue for the sake of peace, security and stability in South Asia.

President Musharraf’s outright rejection of any ‘Made in India’ solution to the Kashmir problem has the total support of the Pakistani nation, which genuinely feels that Pakistan has already shown undue flexibility towards India in the dialogue process, although New Delhi has stuck to its immoral position on the dispute—since long and to-date.●