PRIME Minister Nawaz Sharif was in New York on ‘mission Kashmir’. This was as it should be. It was the time for Pakistan to highlight India’s oppression in occupied Kashmir.

However, it would have been more fruitful to also develop fresh proposals to present before the international community. After all, for over 30 years Pakistan has been crying itself hoarse about Indian oppression in Kashmir at the UN and other international forums.

Unfortunately, we have little to show for it. India’s stranglehold over the valley remains as tight as ever.

It would have been be more fruitful for the prime minister to also declare before the international community that Pakistan had no territorial ambitions in Kashmir and only desired whatever the Kashmiris themselves wanted. He could have also stated that there was no possible military resolution to the Kashmir dispute and therefore Pakistan is willing to withdraw its regular army from the LoC and the working boundary to a given distance, provided India reciprocated.

India, of course, would not have reciprocated but we would have shifted the international goalposts to our advantage. Instead of little response from the international community, the reaction this time could have been a genuine appreciation of Pakistan’s willingness to sacrifice for peace. Pressure would have shifted towards India to respond in kind.

Shehzad S Shah
Karachi

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2016