Let’s not waver in our support for Kashmir

There is need to show more Kashmir-related confidence building measures as an attempt to bring relief to Kashmiris.

Since 1990, Kashmir Solidarity Day has been observed each year on February 5 by the government and people of Pakistan to show political, diplomatic and moral support to Kashmiris living across the Line of Control in the disputed territory of Jammu & Kashmir. On this day, top government functionaries and political leaders are at their shrillest as they denounce the torture and killing of innocent Kashmiris. And the governments of both the countries put out statements against each other.

The government has declared the day a public holiday — government offices, banks, schools and colleges remain closed on this day. To show more loyalty, the political leadership supports Kashmiris for their right to self-determination in accordance with the UN resolutions. The issue of human killings is more grave than that of the territory.

Once can clearly see that the present PML-N led government is even less inclined to talk about the issue of Kashmir as compared to the former PPP government or even the government of Pervez Musharraf. The past governments were very open on the issue, but the present rulers, especially Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, seem to be quite reluctant to address this crunch question. During his last visit to Azad Kashmir, PM Nawaz and his team fobbed off local Kashmiri journalists’ questions on Pakistan’s current policy on Kashmir. This policy needs to be debated by both India and Pakistan; both countries should come up with an out-of-the-box solution which must be acceptable to the Kashmiris on both sides of the disputed territory and bring an end to the constand blame game. Pakistan is going to grant India the Most Favoured Nation status for trade, which is a great step. The cold war between the two countries must come to an end, but Pakistan has to reassure all Kashmiris that Islamabad will continue to support Kashmiris at all levels to pursue a just and honourable settlement of the core issue.

There is a need to show more Kashmir-related confidence building measures as an attempt to bring relief to the day-to-day lives of the people on both sides of the divided state. The present government has to reassure Kashmiris that Pakistan is steadfast and unwavering in its political, moral and diplomatic support to their cause for winning the inalienable right to self-determination.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2014.