Pakistan’s attempts to thwart India’s aggressiveness
The Kashmir issue is not bilateral hence; India must rethink its current policy and allow the stakeholders to reach a resolution that caters to mutual interests.
Kashmir has been bleeding since the strife between India and Pakistan began- the two neighbours have been involved in a power struggle since the partition of 1947.
The people of India-held Kashmir (IHK) have suffered through uproars of violence and toned down versions of the war, but even after almost 60 years, it seems that the situation continues to worsen, hitting new rock bottoms with every major turn of events.
The number of casualties would certainly increase if Indian media’s blackout censoring news from IHK presented an unbiased narrative of the situation.
There has been an unending mayhem in India-held Kashmir since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) alliance took charge in March 2015.
Moreover, the Hurriyat faction’s relationship with Pakistan has increased India’s scepticism about resolving the matter through multilateral dialogue.
India has welcomed talks with Kashmiris or even Pakistan but has never been open to third-party mediation.
In the recent days, Kashmir has seen the worst uprising of indigenous militancy in the history after Burhan Wani’s killing that reignited the people of Kashmir to fight against Indian forces over unjust exploitation.
Indian government responded by imposing a curfew and a massive crackdown on the separatists, leading to the gravest human rights violations.
Kashmir’s youth is joining Hizbul Mujahideen and receiving support from the general population that has given an excuse to the Indian government to apply more brutal measures.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has prohibited the Hurriyat leaders from interacting with Pakistan by terming it as interference in India’s internal affairs.
On the other hand, the Pakistani government has been criticised for their irresponsiveness and not taking a serious action towards the situation in Kashmir.
“The reaction from the Government of Pakistan on the Kashmir issue is split between the reaction of the civilian government and the military,” said Ayaz Amir, a columnist and a senior politician, while talking to DNA.
“Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif made a stronger statement on the foreign platform than the civilian government,” said Amir. “Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has a much softer approach towards this matter.”
“Substituting the lack of a foreign minister by appointing 22 members of the parliament to lobby for Kashmir on an international forum is a gimmick on the part of the civilian government,” said Amir.
“Pakistan’s reaction riled the Indian government and their policy became more aggressive,” Amir added.
According to Indian Home Ministry, the central government is planning to intensify its position against Kashmiri separatist leaders.
However, Panun Kashmir (PK), the Kashmiri Hindu Pundit Forum, believes that the Indian government’s soft policy towards the separatists has empowered anti-India forces and sanctioned separatist movements.
India has not clamped down its violent approach on Kashmir issue due to Pakistan’s mediocre efforts to exert diplomatic pressure.
The Kashmir conflict further aggravated after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi instigated a verbal war when he did not address the human rights violations in Kashmir and instead claimed that people in Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir feel suppressed under Pakistan’s rule.
Panun Kashmir (PK), the Kashmiri Hindu Pundit Forum, believes that the Indian government’s soft policy towards the separatists has empowered anti-India forces and sanctioned separatist movements.
The atrocities in India-held Kashmir have been going on for a long time but the issue didn’t come to light as Pakistan’s focus was prioritised towards the ‘War on Terror’.
“Pakistan has not pursued the Kashmir issue in a more robust manner,” said scholar and researcher, Qamar Cheema while talking to DNA.
“However, PM Nawaz’s decision to appoint a 22-envoy team to raise the Kashmir conflict at international level will prove to be effective,” said Cheema.
Prime minister’s special representative, Kashmir Leghari briefed the international community in Geneva and said that the people of Kashmir should be able to determine their stance as per UN Security Council resolutions.
“Government officers, diplomats, and parliamentarians also have the responsibility to highlight the issue on the international forum by presenting statistics of the atrocities committed by Indian forces in Kashmir,” said Cheema.
India has been more successful at developing diplomatic relations as compared to Pakistan but the atrocities committed in Kashmir present a negative image of the Indian government.
“PM Nawaz needs to appoint an empowered foreign minister who would be able to handle the matters with a more strategic and effective approach,” he added.
The brutalities of the Indian government in Kashmir need to be highlighted internationally and deserve more media coverage to raise the issue globally.
The Modi government needs to restructure the ground rules of its security policies and punish those involved in committing heinous crimes in the disputed region.
The Kashmir issue is not bilateral hence; India must rethink its current policy and allow the stakeholders to reach a resolution that caters to mutual interests.
Furthermore, to prevent the loss of innocent human lives, Indian government needs to prohibit the use of force against civilians and adapt a strategy that leads to a viable solution.
To gain the trust of the general population in Kashmir, the Indian government must re-establish a bilateral relation and acknowledge the crimes that were an outcome of their policies.
