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

32 IPRI Factfile
WHY RUSH TO DIALOGUE?
It is strange to see the Pakistan government agreeing to foreign secretary
level talks with India as early as 25 February when no less a person than
the Prime Minister has revealed that India does not want Kashmir on the
dialogue table. Now that the most pressing issues all arise out of the
Kashmir dispute, it seems absurd to commence a dialogue casting aside
the agreed composite dialogue formula as well as agenda and to embark
on a new venture where India has already declared what it wants to
discuss. Why is Pakistan in such a hurry to get to the dialogue table with
India when there is little substance in terms of conflict resolution that
India is in a mood to concede to? What are the pressures on Pakistan?
Surely it would have been better to get a national consensus through
parliament before embarking on such a dicey dialogue track? But once
again, the Foreign Minister, whose unseemly haste in welcoming the
Kerry Lugar Act is still vivid in most Pakistani memories, seems almost
desperate to accept India’s terms for a dialogue.
Equally ridiculous is the Foreign Office’s declaration that Pakistan
will hold talks “with an open mind”, given how India has already closed
it mind to any suggestions for an agenda on the part of Pakistan. So,
under these circumstances, and “open mind” would merely denote an
acceptance of Indian diktat, beginning with the agenda. As for the
argument that the dialogue is necessary because of the critical water issue,
this is an effort to fool the people. First, the water issue cannot be
resolved without resolution of Kashmir since the seeds of the dispute lie
within this larger political conflict. India would like to discuss water
outside of Kashmir so as to create an artificial disconnect between the two
inextricably linked issues. Second, and linked to the first point, is the fact
that if India wants to discuss water outside of the Kashmir dispute, there
is already a mechanism inbuilt into the Indus Water Treaty so there is
actually no need for the commencement of dialogue between the two
sides to push for resolution of the waters dispute. After all, the Treaty has
international guarantors who should now be called upon to play their
role since they forced the rulers of the time to sign away Pakistan’s rights
to three crucial rivers. Finally, the water issue has effectively moved into
the area of state terrorism on the part of India so perhaps it can also be
discussed under that head as part of the composite dialogue. Otherwise
once again India will present Pakistan with a fait accompli in terms of
illegal dams.