political maturity on both sides needed to reduce tensions
Nisar Ahmed Thokar
Islamabad, Sep 17: The adviser to Pak premier on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Tuesday said that Kashmir was a major issue between India and Pakistan that needs to be resolved peacefully thereby taking aspirations of Kashmiris people into consideration.
Aziz made these remarks while talking to a group of Kashmiri and Indian journalists after attending the Pugwash moot on Kashmir at Serena Hotel in Islamabad. He said, “To say that Kashmir is not an issue or not a valid thing then why there are so many troops on both sides of the line of control”. “The point is that there is an issue and there is so much happening within Kashmir as well and therefore you can not say that Kashmir is no longer an issue”, he maintained. Aziz said that India has been saying that after Simla every thing is bilateral but you see the present status of bilateral dialogue, one incident and the dialogue goes up and every body is afraid what is going to happen”.
“So this is not a satisfactory state of affair over all and unless these issues are addressed once and for all, you know, pushing them under the carpet is not the answer”. While dealing the issue of Kashmir he said, “The starting point is it (Kashmir) remains an issue that is still on the UN agenda, secondly the wishes and aspirations of Kashmiri have to be taken into consideration.
Regarding the alternative options he said, “Whether it could be done through four point formula or some other formula but it is only possible if there is a serious dialogue on the issue”. He pointed out that in composite dialogue there is a group on Kashmir and security related issues but normally in the back channel as happened in the past is easier to explore the different options. He revealed that the back channel discussions were going on the subject since a long but such a serious debate could not be held in the glare of TV cameras.
When asked whether Kashmir continues to be a core issue, Aziz said, “Well it is a major issue and of course we call it a core issue and you can see the core issue in this sense that tension along the LoC and within Kashmir is still very much there”.
With regard to Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterparts possible meeting in New York he pointed out that they don’t expect any big breakthrough but “the least we can hope is the reduction in the tensions, commitment to observe the LOC CBM of ceasefire of 2003 and the resumption of technical discussion is a part of composite dialogue”. “If these things happen then of course process will continue although at a lower level so that when the new government in India after the forthcoming elections can build on these technical discussions to make progress on different issues”, he added.
Regarding the investigation into the recent killings on LoC he said, “Yes we have done and our forces were not involved in it and if non-state actors are involved let us reveal them through joint investigation”. Aziz said this is what the Indian minister for defense said in his first statement but then under pressure he changed his stance.
He said that there were non-state actors operating in Kashmir, and this was not for the first time that they were wearing uniforms. Referring to recent attacks by non-state actors within the Pakistani territory he said, “You know DI Khan jail was broken by the people wearing uniform and attack on foreign tourists in Northern areas was in uniform so this not there pattern”. He was of the opinion that non-state actors could have been involved in this incident and there were chances that they could have been within the Kashmir as many groups were operating on that side of Kashmir as well.
He said that Pakistan offered a joint investigation into the killings but Indian government did not reciprocate. He said on 7th August the DGMOs of both the countries spoke on their weekly circuit but at that time the incident was not even mentioned and then on the same day late in the evening they asked for another communication in which the Indian side raised the issue.
Replying to a query regarding the handing over of Hafiz Syed he said, “No I don’t think that demand has any serious legal basis but main thing was to try those people who were suspected being involved in the Mumbai attack”. He said that Indians did not allow Pakistani team to cross examine the witness and obviously that evidence could not be presented before the court. He said, “A joint commission is going to Indian on 23rd of this month we have appointed the prosecutor and the judge also and I believe that now it will take place at a faster pace”.
Rearding MFN, he said in principle it is ok but a committee in the composite dialogue is yet to meet and give final shape. However, he said that there were some reservations from business community of Pakistan vis a vis the tariff barriers on the Indian side.
Earlier speaking at the concluding session of Pugwash, the Pak premier’s top aide on foreign affairs said so for as the regional peace is concerned “the prime minister of Pakistan Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has a clear vision in this regard and we want that the same vision is shared by the Indian premier so as to move forward in positive manner”.
He said that since the new government of Pakistan took over the reins and a stage for a dialogue was set but recent incident on the LoC proved a huge setback. He observed that indo-pak ties were at a critical juncture where political maturity and sagacity on both sides was required to overcome the challenges so as to put the dialogue back on the track.
Regarding the strengthening of CBMs he said that people to people contacts, trade, economic co-operation could be helpful in forging better relationship understanding between the two sides.
Sartaj Aziz termed 2003 truce agreement as very important saying that both India and Pakistan can’t afford tension on the line of control. So for as the dispute of Kashmir is concerned he reiterated that Kashmir was central to Indo-Pak relations. He was of the view that a constructive engagement between the two countries was must to resolve all issues peacefully
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