24 replies to this topic

[KudosBot]

‘No discussion with Pakistan on changing status of Kashmir’

By Iftikhar Gilani

NEW DELHI: India has not held any discussions with Pakistan on changing the status of Jammu and Kashmir in any manner, the government told the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) on Thursday.

In a written reply, Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed said that there is no question of India accepting any change in the status of Jammu and Kashmir, which is and will remain an “integral part” of India.

He said that India is committed under the Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration to resolve all issues with Pakistan through bilateral discussions, and Jammu and Kashmir is being discussed within the framework of the Indo-Pak composite dialogue.

Ahamed said that India’s consistent position on the Siachen issue is that the present position of troops has to be authenticated before any redeployment is considered. Two rounds of talks have been held with Pakistan on the Siachen issue and both sides have agreed to continue discussions to resolve it peacefully, he said.

The minister said that both countries have agreed to pursue measures to enhance interaction and cooperation across the Line of Control (LoC), including setting up meeting points for divided families, trade, pilgrimages and cultural interaction.

Both countries have also agreed to let trucks use the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad route for trade.

He said that another agreement has been reached to open additional routes, including the Poonch-Rawalakot route for a bus service. These issues will be taken up again once the infrastructure damaged by the October 8 earthquake is restored, Ahamed said.

The minister said that India had sought Pakistan’s help in seeking the release of the Indian hostage, MR Kutty, in Afghanistan, but Islamabad had not offered any assistance.

Overstay: Ahamed said that there have been some instances of Pakistani nationals, who had travelled to India on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus, overstaying their visit. These people were deported, he said. However, six Pakistani nationals are still stranded in India after the October 8 earthquake.

Ahamed told the Rajya Sabha that 10 of 54 Indian nationals who had travelled by the bus to Muzaffarabad are still stuck there, and the government is in touch with Pakistani authorities to facilitate their return.

Route to China: The minister said that India had proposed to China an alternative route to Kailash-Mansarovar through Demchok in Jammu and Kashmir or Shipki La in Himachal Pradesh, which would be shorter and more convenient.

However, China has cited difficulty in opening these routes on grounds that it would involve travel over long distances through difficult terrain on its side, with poor road conditions and lack of proper infrastructure for accommodation and communication, he said.

Dailytimes

[KudosBot]

IEW: India must respond now to Pakistan on Kashmir —Jonathan Power

The stakes are worth every sinew of action — the avoidance of a nuclear war and the chance of receiving the large amounts of foreign investment that China now receives, which will secure both countries’ rapid economic advance and undercut the militants who are capable of damaging both regimes

This is not just currently the world’s most dangerous geological fault-line, it is also the world’s single most dangerous geopolitical fault-line — and there is now a clear connection between the two.

Standing here in a devastated Muzaffarabad and looking at the foot ranges of the Himalayas where October’s earthquake tore off a kilometre-long front of mountainside makes one shiver in awe at the earth’s almighty power of destruction. A nuclear war would destroy in a different way — whole cities of the subcontinent would be incinerated.

What is the connection between these two events? Geographically there certainly is. I am standing near the epicentre of the earthquake in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, the one-third slice of Kashmir that Pakistan wrested from India after the first of their three deadly wars. Nearby the two countries have a de facto border — the so-called Line of Control. The Indian part is also largely but not entirely Muslim and many of its inhabitants would prefer to be under Pakistani rule or under their own. Another war could all too easily turn into a nuclear conflict.

But the earthquake has pushed along another connection. Having lost nearly everything, people of all sorts of ranks and persuasions are more convinced than they have ever been that this is the time for making a peace deal with India. Nearly everyone seems to realise that only peace with India will allow both sides of Kashmir the chance to recover from years of war and this final blow from the earth itself.

I talked to one old man who had spent three days under a collapsed building before rescue arrived. “Peace is going to happen, compromise is necessary”, he said. I talked to a former government minister who had lost half his family but was composed enough to say, “If I want something I should be ready to give something.” Even among the jihadists — like Shahabud Din Madni, the president of the ultra militant group, Markazi Jamiat Ahli Hadith — there is a sense of change: “Many jihadists want to give the peace process a chance. But we also think we shouldn’t put down our guns because then India won’t be so willing to negotiate.”

Nearly everyone supports the peace moves made by Pakistan’s president, Pervez Musharraf. For the last three years, responding to an initiative made by India’s then Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, Musharraf appears to have transformed his personality. Gone is the reckless army commander who in 1999 nearly provoked nuclear war as his troops and mujahideen led a joint operation against Indian troops at Kargil inside Indian Kashmir.

In its place is a compromise-minded diplomat. Although India arguably has made the greatest single concession by accepting that it cannot maintain its claim to be the sole ruler of all of Kashmir, it is Pakistan that has set the pace on sensitive concessions, such as being prepared to put on one side the promise made by India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, to let the issue be settled by a referendum and to accept that most of Kashmir will remain directly under Indian sovereignty. Moreover, Musharraf has finally cut the umbilical cord between jihadists and the military, although he won’t have the credibility to persuade them to give up the jihad until the immense Indian army presence begins to wind down.

India perhaps feels too comfortable. If it sits back Pakistan may make more concessions. By agreeing to open crossing gates on the Line of Control, which could blossom into the porous border that the Indian prime minister, Manmohan Singh, has long championed, it could take some of the sting out of Kashmiri frustrations. Also India remains wary of conceding too much on Kashmir unless its restless and rebellious northeastern states become even more bent on secession. (Indonesia, having allowed East Timor to break off, was worried this would embolden Aceh. It hasn’t.)

No one doubts Singh’s personal commitment. “Short of secession, short of re-drawing boundaries, the Indian establishment can live with anything,” he forcefully told me in an interview the day after he became prime minister. And as the Pakistani Prime Minister, Shaukat Aziz, told me, “Manmohan has a lot of credibility in India and he could deliver.”

But it means Singh pushing his bureaucracy and intelligence services, which are resisting strongly. This is the time to push, whilst the military strongman Musharraf can deliver Pakistan. (In a year’s time planned elections might weaken his clout.)

The stakes are worth every sinew of action — the avoidance of a nuclear war and the chance of receiving the large amounts of foreign investment that China now receives, which will secure both countries’ rapid economic advance and undercut the militants who are capable of damaging both regimes.

The writer is a leading columnist on international affairs, human rights and peace issues. He syndicates his columns with some 50 papers around the world

dailytimes

[wiseking]

‘No discussion with Pakistan on changing status of Kashmir’

By Iftikhar Gilani

NEW DELHI: India has not held any discussions with Pakistan on changing the status of Jammu and Kashmir in any manner, the government told the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) on Thursday.

In a written reply, Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed said that there is no question of India accepting any change in the status of Jammu and Kashmir, which is and will remain an “integral part” of India.

He said that India is committed under the Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration to resolve all issues with Pakistan through bilateral discussions, and Jammu and Kashmir is being discussed within the framework of the Indo-Pak composite dialogue.

Ahamed said that India’s consistent position on the Siachen issue is that the present position of troops has to be authenticated before any redeployment is considered. Two rounds of talks have been held with Pakistan on the Siachen issue and both sides have agreed to continue discussions to resolve it peacefully, he said.

The minister said that both countries have agreed to pursue measures to enhance interaction and cooperation across the Line of Control (LoC), including setting up meeting points for divided families, trade, pilgrimages and cultural interaction.

Both countries have also agreed to let trucks use the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad route for trade.

He said that another agreement has been reached to open additional routes, including the Poonch-Rawalakot route for a bus service. These issues will be taken up again once the infrastructure damaged by the October 8 earthquake is restored, Ahamed said.

The minister said that India had sought Pakistan’s help in seeking the release of the Indian hostage, MR Kutty, in Afghanistan, but Islamabad had not offered any assistance.

Overstay: Ahamed said that there have been some instances of Pakistani nationals, who had travelled to India on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus, overstaying their visit. These people were deported, he said. However, six Pakistani nationals are still stranded in India after the October 8 earthquake.

Ahamed told the Rajya Sabha that 10 of 54 Indian nationals who had travelled by the bus to Muzaffarabad are still stuck there, and the government is in touch with Pakistani authorities to facilitate their return.

Route to China: The minister said that India had proposed to China an alternative route to Kailash-Mansarovar through Demchok in Jammu and Kashmir or Shipki La in Himachal Pradesh, which would be shorter and more convenient.

However, China has cited difficulty in opening these routes on grounds that it would involve travel over long distances through difficult terrain on its side, with poor road conditions and lack of proper infrastructure for accommodation and communication, he said.

Dailytimes

  india is the most stupid and arrogant third world country in the world. then they complain to the US about pakistani soldiers crossing into kargil and raping their asses. what kind of attitude is this? either solve the issue or get ready for more attacks. you cant have your cake and eat it too. india wants the best of both worlds. no attacks against their terrorist soldiers, and to preserve the status quo of keeping occupied kashmir for themselves and denying the kashmiris their legitimate right to self determination. stupid indian government.  

[R64]

india is the most stupid and arrogant third world country in the world. then they complain to the US about pakistani soldiers crossing into kargil and raping their asses. what kind of attitude is this? either solve the issue or get ready for more attacks. you cant have your cake and eat it too. india wants the best of both worlds. no attacks against their terrorist soldiers, and to preserve the status quo of keeping occupied kashmir for themselves and denying the kashmiris their legitimate right to self determination. stupid indian government. 

You are not serious! Kashmir is something that Pak was not able to win in three wars and more than a decade of "death by thousand cuts" low intensity conflict. It now expects India to just roll over and gift Kashmir on a silver platter just because Pak is holding a gun to its own head and threating sucide?

[blackjar]

india is the most stupid and arrogant third world country in the world. then they complain to the US about pakistani soldiers crossing into kargil and raping their asses. what kind of attitude is this? either solve the issue or get ready for more attacks. you cant have your cake and eat it too. india wants the best of both worlds. no attacks against their terrorist soldiers, and to preserve the status quo of keeping occupied kashmir for themselves and denying the kashmiris their legitimate right to self determination. stupid indian government. 

.......and this is what I would call.....a wisecrack.

[waz]

Who cares what the Indian government thinks the momentum towards independence has been and is growing every day as we speak, and sooner or later things will happen of their own accord.

[Kabira]

I am not surprised.  India always want to maintain status-quo.

[pegasus]

Who cares what the Indian government thinks the momentum towards independence has been and is growing every day as we speak, and sooner or later things will happen of their own accord.

Lol in case you didnt notice the Kashmir Problem is pretty much on its all time low since it started... .Today most "jihadis" are foriegners........ the kashmirs (HC) is nothing more than a political mouth piece.. another decade and it will be over just like the khalistan movement.

[platinum786]

over...   

I know people that'd be willing to blow up your priminster or president just to raise the issue again     

It has just gained momentum. 2 nuclear powers, Pakistan reaching conventional military parity with India as well as a growsing massively exapnding economy, a key transit state by 2016....in ten years time it'll be over, we'll have kashmir.

[R64]

over...  

I know people that'd be willing to blow up your priminster or president just to raise the issue again    

It has just gained momentum. 2 nuclear powers, Pakistan reaching conventional military parity with India as well as a growsing massively exapnding economy, a key transit state by 2016....in ten years time it'll be over, we'll have kashmir.

I thought Pak wanted Kashmiris to be independent and all that. No? Bad Pak Bad. It just wants to do an India over it.

[PS:Annonymous]

I thought Pak wanted Kashmiris to be independent and all that. No? Bad Pak Bad. It just wants to do an India over it.

The Person whom you are replying, he is a Kashmiri himself talking about Kashmir banay Ga Pakistan, just like my grand ma says and she is kashmiri too from sri nagar.

it should open up your eyes monkey.

[Brainy]

I'm Kashmiri too, and just the thought of being labelled as an Indian or being under indian occupation makes me cringe. (No offence to decent Indians out there...wherever you are!)  

[blain2]

Lol in case you didnt notice the Kashmir Problem is pretty much on its all time low since it started... .Today most "jihadis" are foriegners........ the kashmirs (HC) is nothing more than a political mouth piece.. another decade and it will be over just like the khalistan movement.

I doubt that....thanks to Pakistan, the Muj in IoK are laying low.....one the tab gets turned on again, the insurgency will ramp back up on its own.  Its wishful thinking on your part to equate khalistan issue to a freedom movement going on for the past 50+ years.  Lets just face it...Kashmiris simply don't like living with Indians (and for that matter they may not want to live with Pakistan either)...the best thing is to let them be on their own.  Many indiginous Kashmiris may not be fighting in the insurgency, but rest assured that they are quite alright with someone else carrying on for them against the Indian forces.

If you think that Israeli sensors or your IA has something to do with lowering the intensity of the insurgency then you are dead wrong.  You guys (Indians) do not have a military solution for this situation and it cannot be resolved militarily.

[R64]

You guys may want to read this:Kashmir

[crazyinsane105]

R64, the Americans are completely bogged down in Iraq. Why? Because the Iraqis don't want them there. If the Kashmiris really wanted to be part of the India, there would be no support whatsoever for the mujahadin. However, there is much support and the only reason it has been quiet over the last couple of years is because Musharraf actually wants to resolve this dispute peacefully. And if India fails to resolve it, then guess what? The Kashmiris will begin their fierce attacks against Indian forces once again and the world wouldn't really care since it was India that refused to negotiate on Kashmir, not Pakistan.

[R64]

R64, the Americans are completely bogged down in Iraq. Why? Because the Iraqis don't want them there. If the Kashmiris really wanted to be part of the India, there would be no support whatsoever for the mujahadin. However, there is much support and the only reason it has been quiet over the last couple of years is because Musharraf actually wants to resolve this dispute peacefully. And if India fails to resolve it, then guess what? The Kashmiris will begin their fierce attacks against Indian forces once again and the world wouldn't really care since it was India that refused to negotiate on Kashmir, not Pakistan.

Again, read that article. It explains some of the points you raise. I am not going to comment on Ameicans and Iraq, except, IMHO, it serves American interest to keep Iraq boiling. At the same time, at no point in Kashmir's history, there were 20-50 odd kills per day, sustained. It means something. Think about it.

[crazyinsane105]

Again, read that article. It explains some of the points you raise. I am not going to comment on Ameicans and Iraq, except, IMHO, it serves American interest to keep Iraq boiling. At the same time, at no point in Kashmir's history, there were 20-50 odd kills per day, sustained. It means something. Think about it.

In Iraq, the amount of ammunition available is tremendous. However, there are MANY groups in Iraq that are fighting. There are Baathists and Islamic extremists and people in between. It isn't in the best of interests for the Americans to keep Iraq boiling. The longer it boils, the longer US troops will have to stay and the longer will the US will have to wait to take action against Iran.

[KudosBot]

India rejects OIC reference

NEW DELHI: India on Friday rejected the Organisation of Islamic Countries’ reference to Jammu and Kashmir made in the organisation’s final communiqué issued at the end of the 3rd OIC session in Mecca. “India has consistently maintained that the OIC has no locus standi to comment on matters pertaining to it’s internal affairs, and New Delhi completely rejects all such references,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Navtej Sarna told reporters. He added that India was surprised at the reference and it amounted to interference in India’s internal affairs. iftikhar gilani


DT

[KudosBot]

Keep off Kashmir : India again tells OIC

New Delhi, Dec 16 (UNI) India today rejected all references to Jammu and Kashmir made at the December 7-8 Summit of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) at Mecca and said the Organisation had no locus standi to comment on matters concerning India's internal affairs.

''We have consistently maintained that the OIC has no locus standi to comment on the matters concerning India's internal affairs, and we completely reject all such references,'' a spokesman of the External Affairs Ministry said in response to a question.

The spokesman said India was ''surprised'' that the OIC in its Third Extra-ordinary Session of the Islamic Summit Conference held in Mecca from December 7-8, should have made references on Jammu and Kashmir, an integral part of the Indian Union, in its final communiqué.

The OIC said it ''extended'' support to the ''inalienable right'' of the people of Jammu and Kashmir for ''self determination'' in accordance with the UN resolutions.

In a declaration issued after the two-day Summit in Mecca, the OIC also called for ''respect of the human rights of Kashmiri people and agreed to provide all possible political and diplomatic support to representatives of Kashmiri people.'' Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf who attended the conference, compared Palestine with Kashmir and said the ''failure to resolve Kashmir and Palestine issues led to desperation, confusion and extremism.''

[waz]

Lol in case you didnt notice the Kashmir Problem is pretty much on its all time low since it started... .Today most "jihadis" are foriegners........ the kashmirs (HC) is nothing more than a political mouth piece.. another decade and it will be over just like the khalistan movement.

Excuse all time low? My ill informed friend it is on a high and gaining pace fast. Did you see the mass demonstrations attracting thousands against the case of Indian troops using civilians as human shields, the popularity of the independence movements [hurriat] keeps growing daily and like I said things will soon come to a head. Also by the admission the Indian army itself "cross border terrorism" was down but yet during the same time span we saw attacks increase on the "security" forces clear signs the home grown rebellion is still alive. The parallel you make with the Khalistani one is plain stupid lol. During that struggle Sikhs were heavily divided amongst themselves as to where the violence was going and there was no political body to represent the will of the Sikh people. Not to mention the ones who crushed the rebels were Sikh troops anyway which not the case in the occupied state.

As a Kashmiri I’m happy at the way things are going and laugh even more when you guys stick your heads in the sand thinking it will all be over soon.

[waz]

oh yes just echoing Platinum’s comments

PAKISTAN AND KASHMIR UNITED!

[wiseking]

You are not serious! Kashmir is something that Pak was not able to win in three wars and more than a decade of "death by thousand cuts" low intensity conflict.

  riiiight. keep telling yourself that. maybe it will come true if you keep repeating it. unlike you, we dont occupy land illegaly. and if it wasnt for lady luck, india would have coughed up kashmir many many years ago. luck always runs out though. patience doesnt.

[Yugandhar]

Tell you what? Most Kashmiris dont want to be part of neither Pakistan nor India.
This is the case in Pakistani Kashmir and NA also.

They have scented independence with IoK,Pakistani Kashmir and NA......and that is what they want: A United States of Kashmir.

They no longer want to shift between New Delhi and Islamabad.

Well, I can tell you of a few Kashmiris besides the ruling PDP and the NC who want to be part and parcel of India:

They are Qazi Tauqeer(the winner of a nation-wide singing talent hunt), and his phamilee.

[faizan khaliq]

Kashmir,i can stay indipendent if they win freedom from india but if Pakistan bleeds and win kashmir then no not at any cast.The present azad kashmir was captured by trible lashkar so these guys don,t have a right to say indipendance.If gi;git is part of kashmir because maharaja captured it why not kashmir part of india they captured it too.There is nothing special about kashmirees thatover a billion other human beings live in Pakistan and india  and they want khudmukhtiari .They have to chose one India or pakistan the day they are ready the issue will be resolved

[waz]

Yugandhar has a point that the majority in Indian Kashmir want indpendence rather than unity with Pakistan.