- Issues need to be resolved
With the re-election of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister of India and the election of Imran Khan as Prime Minister of Pakistan have started a new era of relations for both the ancient rival states. At such a critical crossroad both the states have two options at their ends. They can either repair their cracks and fissures or keep brewing the decades-long tensions and antipathy with each other. Before moving the needle to conclusion for effectual and proficient way forward to the simmering hostility, it is imperative to explore the deep-seated raison d’être for this triggering dismay.
There are numerous conflicts between India and Pakistan due to which both the countries are beating the war drums. Without taking expedited efforts to solve these concerns; this grinding conflicts would not lower their burning and rising intensity.
The Prime Minister has time and again extended an olive branch to India to talk on peace terms. Indian leadership should also show some statesmanship to resolve the water and border issues
In the first place, saints and sinners alike realise that Kashmir issue has stood at the centrestage of the Indo-Pakistan rivalry. The unsettled boundaries of Kashmir have remained a bone of contention for unending miseries in the Kashmir region which compelled the two nations to fight four wars to standardise their intentions in world politics .India has started a reign of terror in the Indian-occupied Kashmir just to punish Muslims and to highlight its stature as regional power. Pakistan always remained vocal for Kashmiri rights and independence movements. Not only this, Pakistan has time and again raised concerns before international forums and international human rights organisations over the gross human rights violations by the Indian extremist government. But, unfortunately, the Indian alliance with the USA has allowed the former immunity for every undesired action, and she is violating the international rules with impurity.
Going further, water management between the India and Pakistan is yet another treacherous and tumultuous peril which is further exasperating the already fragile and frail relations. India is involved in transgressing the rules of the Indus Basin Treaty (IBT 1960) mediated by World Bank. India is planning to build 155 hydropower projects on Pakistani waters whose purpose is primarily diverting the water flow of western rivers (Indus, Jhelum and Chenab) India has built six hydropower plants on the Chenab with the inclusion of Baglihar-1 of 450MW and Salal-2 of 690MW. The projects’ construction which are in the pipeline include Baglihar-2 of 450MW and Ranja-Ala-Dunadi of 15MW. Not only this, there are many other projects which India will kickstart in near future which include Sawalkot, Seli, Pakal Dul, Bursar, Rattle, Kishangan and Kiru. Pakistan has raised her concerns over the Indian manipulation at the forum of the World Bank. However the puppet administration of World Bank, under the suzerainty of the USA, has failed to take any tangible action to fulfil its responsibility of being mediator. Due to this complex situation, both the countries are heading towards a situation, where there will be no escape route but a nuclear catastrophe.
Further, the geopolitics is changing at a rapid pace with the altering alliances and formation of new blocs. Rising Indian compatibility with the USA is sending alarms bells to Pakistan. India is projecting herself as the sole south Asian power and don’t want to see Pakistan as a regional competitor. In order to fulfil her irrelevant whim and desire, India has started negative propaganda against Pakistan in the corridors of different big powers, turning Pakistan as a terrorist, economically collapsed and failed state. On the other hand Pakistan is also vocal to unveil the true reality of Indian nefarious designs through her Kashmir atrocities, dams controversies, and terrorist funding in Balochistan and Karachi by using Afghan soil. Due to this blame game and mistrust between the two states, severe Armageddon is going to take place.
Therefore, under such sorry state of affairs where the political landscape of Asia is in flux, the two states: Pakistan and India ought to adopt a single blanket approach to streamline the boat of peace and prosperity which is badly struck in the whirlpool of logjam.
In this regard, the two fresh governments need to work on the impasse and stalemate on the Kashmir issue. They should re-open the door for reconciliation and move the needle on reviving by bilateral talks to end this decades-long issue which has kept both the states under extreme pressure, unable to focus on progress and development. Both the states must involve the Kashmiris as a third party to listen to their concerns and try to form a pact under the UNO resolutions to liberate and discharge Kashmiri suffering. With the resolution of this issue, which stood as a flashpoint and simmering volcano which can cause a nuclear war at any time, the states can work for people’s progress and uplifting their standards of life.
Furthermore, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was made in 1985 with the intention to propel the region forward through trade linkages and terrorism eradication measures. However, India is considering itself the bird of a bigger cage, have made the organisation helpless and hapless. Therefore, both the states are widely tipped to restructure this organisation and convert it from a worthless paper-tiger to a practical monster which can eat all the vicious evils of terrorism, military, poverty, blame game and human and drug trafficking. Not only this, but to hold timely SAARC sessions would let all the South Asian countries to discuss issues concerning the regional stability and development. Also, the conflict resolution mechanism in SAARC would also solve minor issues which later on become a serious peril for the region.
The Prime Minister has time and again extended an olive branch to India to talk on peace terms. Indian leadership should also show some statesmanship to resolve the water and border issues. The forum of SCO has no match to make all the grievances vanish and let the two steps forward to regain the lost prestige and glory. Making for ease in visa regimes for people wanting to cross the border and resolving water issues through bilateral talks can go a long way to streamline the things.