Pervez Malik’s Solution for Kashmir Issue

October 3, 2016

By Saeed Qureshi

I deem Mr. Pervez Malik as one of the outstanding intellectual colleagues from among the Dallas Pakistanis. He runs Radio 1120 AM for several years. It’s an air media outlet that caters for the political questions and diversity of opinions on political issues of Pakistan specifically and the United States and other countries generally.

Recently in response to my article, “India and Pakistan on warpath once again” Malik Sahib responded to that with a crisp and thought-provoking observation by way of a comment that I would like to share with my countless readers here in Dallas/Fort Worth and beyond that.

I am sharing the full text of his email with my worthy readers. He writes,

“My Dear Qureshi Sahib, Interesting read. As soon as the white men departs the Indians and the newly called Pakistani's slaughtered every living thing that walked and crawled. A mayhem worse than a Jewish holocaust or the plight of the Palestinians. Kashmir is a living testimony of the barbaric and inhuman nature and instincts of the people of the Indian sub-continent, no one is better or worse than each other. An everyday Indian and Pakistani is tired of the theoretic of the politicians, the bureaucratic and the propaganda machinery.

 

Kashmir is a diversion for Pakistani politicians, half of the country was lost in 1971, the Muhajirs who actually crossed the killing fields of partition today are the most hated and forgotten ethnicity in Pakistan. North West frontier is openly waging war against Pakistan in multiple disguises, Taliban, Jihadi etc. Baluchistan was forcefully taken by Pakistan and illegally annexed, the insurgency continues today.

Pak army is fighting the insurgencies inside Pakistan every day. Kashmir is a diversion for both countries to cry foul, collect votes, armament, practice weaponry. For the love of humanity Kashmir must be returned to its rightful owners the people of Kashmir by both India and Pakistan. Let them decide their own future and destiny. To sit and cry foul in the United Nation by both countries, nobody cares and nobody gives a hoot, it only reflects the callousness behind a wonderful face.”

From this text I have chosen the following as most important sentence, “

“For the love of humanity Kashmir must be returned to its rightful owners the people of Kashmir by both India and Pakistan. Let them decide their own future and destiny.”

As a political analyst for over two decades now, I tend to agree with the solution or the suggestion of Mr. Malik contained in this sentence. The fact is that Kashmiris have not been given their inalienable right to decide one of the three options either to be (1) independent, join (2) India or (3) Pakistan.

Since the United Nations had postulated plebiscite, vide Resolution 47 passed on 21 April 1948, the Kashmiris have the only option of either to join Pakistan or India. It means the right of vote if ever exercised by the Kashmiris will preclude independence.

This rule had been applied and implemented in case of other states during the partition of the Subcontinent. For instance, PK, Baluchistan. Sindh and Punjab being majority Muslim areas joined Pakistan. Other states joined India. Junagarh, Manavadar, Hyderabad and Kashmir and even East Punjab remained unsettled.

We have seen that several independent or separation movements have been going on in India and one or two in Pakistan. But since the partition plan supervised by the UNO doesn’t cater for separation independence these states have to join either Pakistan or India.

Kashmir unfortunately is dived into two parts: one aligned with Pakistan and the other with India. It assumes a special status. Same can be said about Junagarh and Hyderabad which were annexed by India by use of force. As such if India and Pakistan agree to hold a plebiscite in both parts of Kashmir this option should also be exercised in the above-mentioned two states.

This is like opening a Pandora box. But since there has always been an opposition and resistance against India for hold over Kashmir, the hypothesis can be deduced that the people of Kashmir don’t want to accede to India. That is why India has always been opposing the voting to elicit the Kashmiris’’ opinion in their part or the whole of Kashmir.

The third option outlined by illustrious Pervez Malik Sahib is the most pragmatic.  It advocates to make Kashmir independent. However, it can never see the light of the day. Still the opinion of the Kashmiris has to be elicited if they want to be independent. This option or way-out can neither be endorsed either by Pakistan nor India as it contrasts with the UNO resolution and it might lead to other states with the sub-continent to follow the suite.

As I mentioned earlier it is tantamount to opening the Pandora box. The Kashmir remained for a long time under the Sikh rule, followed by the British rule and finally the Dogra Raj with British consent. Since they never absolute independence, there is such possibility even in the future.  Thus they have to opt either for Pakistan and India without being an independence state. But despite that bottleneck, I still I support Mr. Malik’s proposal that can bring lasting peace between India and Pakistan.