Hindu humanitarian Sri Ravi Shankar, the so-called peace icon, came to Pakistan on the 12 March for a three-day visit with an aim to urge the leadership of the two neighbouring nuclear powers of South Asia to find peaceful solutions of all the outstanding issues by promoting friendship and understanding and dialogue. Before embarking on such mission, he should have identified the major irritants between the two countries.
He is not the first person who has come from India on goodwill and friendship mission. I am in my 70s and remember the umpteen number of such visits from both sides since 1947 to promote friendship and to ensure cordial relations between these two nuclear charged countries. Both countries have fought four wars plus innumerable border skirmishes since independence without finding a permanent solution for peace. Such visits can never bear fruit unless the major issues like Kashmir dispute and river water’s control are not resolved.
India is not prepared to talk on Indian-held Kashmir as their constitution shows the entire Kashmir as part of India (Atoot Ang). According to the India Independence Act of 1947, the division of India has not been fair at the time of partition.
Kashmir was to come to Pakistan being Muslim majority area. However, since the ruler at the time of partition was a Hindu, he asked for military support from India. India exploited his helplessness and sent its troops after getting a fake accession deed signed from him and got the control of Jammu and Kashmir. It was a conspiracy which must be investigated and the people of both the countries should be told about the facts.
The UN resolution of 1949 has already given a decision for free and fair plebiscite in Kashmir to which both the countries are signatories. But India is avoiding the implementation of this resolution on one pretext or the other.
Similarly, India after taking over the control of three western rivers after water accord ie, Ravi, Sutlaj and Beas, they are now diverting the water of three eastern rivers ie, Indus, Jhelum and Chenab which were supposed be used by Pakistan. India is violating all the water accords and agreements and is bent upon making Pakistan a barren country. The Chenab river flow has been severely interrupted due to Indian’s filling of Baghliar-1 reservoir.
Similarly, they have plans to divert the waters of all the three western rivers to irrigate Rajhisthan area. They are violating the byelaws of International Commission for Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) by stopping flow of waters to Pakistan for irrigation purposes. So what do they expect from us in such peace missions. It is preposterous to expect a friendly hand from Pakistan and I think it is a cruel joke on Pakistan to send such a peace icon or a delegation without doing something positive for Pakistan.
It is a pity that Pakistan has granted India MFN (most favoured nation) status where in India would draw maximum benefits in trade. What favour India has done to Pakistan ever since the independence. The Indian government and RAW have left no stone unturned to harm Pakistan and perhaps have not reconciled with the creation of another country (Pakistan) out of Akhand Bharat. They should come with two point agenda only: One to resolve long outstanding Kashmir issue and two, the control of waters of rivers flowing into Pakistan, to ensure peace in the region.
MUHAMMAD AZHAR KHWAJA
Lahore