120 Whither Kashmir? (Part II) - Islamabad Policy Research Institute

Whither Kashmir?
PEACE AND KASHMIR
"Fighting your war is our duty. From day one, it has been our own
movement," said President Zardari, while addressing a special sitting of
the Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) legislative assembly on January 5, in
his first ever presidential visit to Muzaffarabad. January 5 is celebrated as
self-determination day as it was on January 5, 1949 that the United
Nations Security Council (UNSC) passed a resolution recognising the
right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Since the Musharraf days, our policy towards Kashmir has been
desultory, even contradictory. Scores of proposals have emanated from
Pakistan but none has caused a positive response. Being half baked and illadvised,
they have led to serious attrition of our historical stand on the
issue. They have also encouraged others to further muddy the waters.
There is discussion on a variety of models -- the Ireland formula, Swiss
model and the European Union proposals. Instead of bringing these ideas
to the negotiating table, they have become an issue of public discourse
and have harmed the cause of Kashmir.
Pakistan's policy towards Kashmir has suffered from a lack of
direction. It has neither focused on nor involved the Kashmiris in
negotiations. Statements reiterating support to a solution "based on the
aspirations of the Kashmiris" have not become part of the policy. All
these years, we have repeated the mantra without associating Kashmiris
with the peace process. There has been no mechanism [to accommodate]
their aspirations.
The sad fact is that Kashmir as a 'core' issue has lost its urgency and
primacy as a determinant of peace and security in the region. India has
succeeded in preserving all its positions and has shifted focus from its
unlawful occupation of Kashmir to the overall objective of advancing the
peace process. What is worse is that capitalising on western phobia about
Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism, the Indian propaganda machinery
has subtly but effectively exploited this feat [fact] and equated the
Kashmiri struggle for self determination to terrorism supported by
Pakistan. This well-orchestrated campaign has narrowed the parameters
of the Kashmir issue to cross-border terrorism and Pakistan has been put
in the dock, and blamed for the violation of its solemn commitment in
the January 6, 2004 joint communiqué that its "soil would not be allowed
to be used for any terrorist activity."
The haste and impatience to seek any solution has led to
compromising our principled stand. Similarly, the tendency to offer out-
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