THIS refers to Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy’s article ‘Kashmir: hard choices only’ (May 20) wherein he says: “Thoughtful Pakistanis must realise that their country’s Kashmir-first policy has brought misery all around.”

Dr Hoodbhoy should know that this has not been a consistent policy. When President Pervez Musharraf offered to move halfway from demanding a plebiscite under UN Resolutions on Dec 18, 2003, Dr Hoodbhoy had followed through by advocating accepting the LoC as the border (Dawn, Dec 23, 2003).

Then President Musharraf made another set of proposals on Dec 5, 2005, ruling out independence, and explaining that he wanted to make the LoC irrelevant. Although this was a half step away from making the international boundary irrelevant, India did not accept it. Why?

Writing to Sri Prakasa the Indian High Commissioner on Nov 25, 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru had chided him: “I am amazed that you hinted at Kashmir being handed over to Pakistan...Kashmir is going to be a drain on our resources, but it is going to be a greater drain on Pakistan.” (SWJN, [2] pp346-347). Nehru had calculated correctly how Kashmir could affect the survival of Pakistan.

Dr Hoodbhoy goes on to deplore the use of proxies and militants, but in the present situation they are not relevant. Prem Shankar Jha writing in Wire (Aug 23, 2017) admits: “But no amount of money or exhortation could have made 1.5 lakh people from all over South Kashmir to catch a last glimpse of him and offer no fewer than 40 prayers for his soul. And Pakistan did not even learn of Wani’s death, let alone instigate it, before the people of South Kashmir”.

According to A.S. Dulat, former RAW chief: “Schoolgirls and women are coming out to throw stones. The Kashmir situation has never been so bad” (Dawn, May 4, 2017)

Dr Muhammad Reza Kazimi

Karachi

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2017