Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif raised the issue of Kashmir, spoke about the continuing offensive against terrorism, and more importantly put the ball in India’s court by offering a new four-point peace initiative in his speech at the 70th UN General Assembly on Tuesday. The points include expanding the UN military observer group in India and Pakistan to monitor the implementation of the 2003 ceasefire, steps to demilitarise Kashmir, an “unconditional mutual withdrawal” from Siachen, and proposed that Pakistan and India reaffirm that they will not resort to the threat of force under any circumstances. He said an easing of threat perceptions through such peace efforts will make it possible for Pakistan and India to agree on a broad range of measures to address the peril posed by offensive and advanced weapons systems. The four points proposed by Pakistani PM are — a formalisation of the 2003 ceasefire along the Line of Control in Kashmir, a reaffirmation that neither country will be the first to use force, the demilitarisation of Kashmir and fourthly, a mutual withdrawal from the Siachen glacier battlefield. The first three are of boundless complexity, the fourth perhaps the most ‘do-able’ of the quartet, and possible to accomplish with no loss of face by either side. Nawaz may have good intentions but his proposals will remain worthless unless serious efforts are made by both sides to re-engage in the dialogue process. There must be an initial point to start with. Instead of getting bogged down over big disputes, both states need to first sort out smaller issues that can be resolved by applying only a little rationality. Issues like the withdrawal of forces from Siachen, Sir Creek, fishermen’s arrests and border skirmishes may lend themselves to relatively easier resolution. These are issues that can be resolved by India and Pakistan by sitting at the negotiating table even without the intervention of the UN. The only thing that the two countries need to acquire is mutual trust. Both countries need to take confidence building measures for the establishment of long lasting peace in the region. They have to talk to each other if they want to live as peaceful neighbours. So far, there are no indications that both states will be on good terms any time soon as the usual blame game and rigid policies of the Modi government are obstacles to reaching any agreement. The challenge for the Pakistani government will be to carry forward these proposals and press them in other forums.As the immediate and fierce Indian response indicated, the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in no mood to go beyond its talking points of terrorism and attempting to link it to Pakistan.To push for bilateral normalisation when one side — a side courted by the outside world for economic and diplomatic reasons — is determined to talk only on its own terms is a very hard task indeed.The problem, as ever, is compounded by the sense that the outside world is somewhat sympathetic to the Indian claim that Pakistan continues to tolerate anti-India, pro-Kashmir jihadists on its soil.
A tension-free region must also be a terrorism-free region. A zero-tolerance policy is still awaited here.
pk.shafaqna.com
