INDIA SHOULD DISCUSS POK, NOT J&K WITH PAK

Pakistan’s new Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif has extended his hand of “friendship” to India, seeking “meaningful engagement”. Replying to a communication from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, congratulating him on his elevation to the post of Pakistan PM, Sharif has written, “We believe that peaceful and cooperative ties between Pakistan and India are imperative for the progress and socio-economic uplift of our people and for the region.” Coming after the incessant venom spewing against the Indian government by his predecessor, Imran Khan, this is a considerable toning down of rhetoric. But since we are talking Pakistan, how can there not be a mention of the K-word? So almost in the same breath, Shehbaz Sharif makes peace with India conditional to resolving the Kashmir “dispute”. “This can be best achieved through meaningful engagement and peaceful resolution of all outstanding disputes, including the core issue of Jammu & Kashmir,” reads the letter.

Whatever be the pretensions of democracy, Shehbaz Sharif has near zero power to make peace with India, without the Army’s consent. And the Pakistan Army will never make peace with India whatever be Army chief General Bajwa’s proclamations to the contrary. At last year’s Islamabad Security Dialogue, General Bajwa may have surprised some Indians by saying “it is time to bury the past and move forward”, but there was a clear caveat, which many peaceniks on this side of the Wagah-Attari border chose to ignore. He was categorical: “But for resumption of peace process or meaningful dialogue, our neighbour will have to create conducive environment, particularly in Indian Occupied Kashmir.” He reiterated his stand earlier this month as well. Accordingly, some kite-flying seems to have started, outlining the broad contours of a possible peace process, obviously to check India’s reaction. If at least one media report has to be believed, the Pakistanis want some sort of a self-governance model for Kashmir, overseen by the two neighbouring countries, apart from a soft border for trade between the two countries. In other words, it is a “we-win-all, you-lose-all” formula as far as the Pakistani generals are concerned. India agreeing even to discuss such proposals amounts to conceding that Jammu and Kashmir is not an integral part of this country. It suits Pakistan beautifully to dismember India, for that is what such an outrageous plan will lead to. Also, given the serious political repercussions of any such move, not even the bravest of Indian leaders will dare to take the Pakistanis or the Track II peaceniks floating this plan seriously.

Instead, someone needs to tell Rawalpindi GHQ that the “dispute” part of the Kashmir debate has been settled on 5 August 2019, with the abrogation of Article 370. J&K is an inalienable part of India, and if there is any territorial dispute, it concerns the territory of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. In fact, it is time India shed its reticence of making an international issue out of PoK, given Pakistan is the clear aggressor here. PoK should be as much a part of India’s narrative going forward against Pakistan as much as terrorism is.

Let’s also not miss the timing of this urge for peace. Pakistan is in dire straits financially and the burden of maintaining the lifestyle of its ruling class—the military—is taking a heavy toll on its economy. Being on the FATF grey list is also not helping. In fact, it does not even have the money to be in an arms race with India. No wonder the generals are suddenly seeing peace on the horizon. But any such peace will be a chimera at best, for the whole existence of Pakistan depends on it being anti-India, the reason why it will never give up terrorism as an instrument of state policy.

Hence, India should stick to its stand that there cannot be any talks with Pakistan unless it stops terrorism, and should make it clear to the Pakistanis that Jammu and Kashmir is not even on the discussion table. J&K has moved into the realm of being non-negotiable.