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Journalism of Courage
General Pervez Musharraf has floated a few straws in the wind by virtually giving up the demand of settling Kashmir issue on the basis of UN resolutions. This is welcome. But it also must be seen along with the views of the leadership of virtually all the political parties in Pakistan who have slammed him for his statement. It may be easy to conclude that it then may just be a public relations exercise to show how reasonable Pakistan and its military president is. It may also be an effort to smoothen the path for the greater success of the SAARC summit. It could also be an attempt to regain some of the initiative that the general undoubtedly lost with Prime Minister Vajpayee8217;s current peace 8220;offensive8221;. Given the negative responses of Pakistan8217;s political parties 8212; from the PPP on one side to the MMA and Jamaat e-Islami on the other 8212; it is important that if India is to take the idea seriously, it must first acquire broad-based support inside Pakistan.
We need to also make a careful assessment of the implications of his stance, on the assumption that it indicates a shift in the traditional position. By giving up the demand for the UN resolutions as the basis of solution, Musharraf has cleverly signalled that the question of Pakistani withdrawal from POK Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, required under those resolutions as a pre-requisite, and is not open to any discussion, leave alone negotiations. The resolution of the 8220;dispute8221; which he wants India to acknowledge as 8220;central8221; to India-Pakistan relations, according to his formulation, would be limited to the area east of the Line of Control. This further narrows the negotiating space that might still be available or that might be created in future for the settlement of the problem.
