|
Musharraf's Quake Diplomacy Welcomed at Home
 |
|
"I am for demilitarization. If they agree to that, we will too,"
Musharraf said. (Reuters).
|
By
Shahid Husain, IOL Correspondent
KARACHI,
November 1, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – Despite the exchange of harsh
words that followed the recent terror bombings in India, politicians,
peace activists and academics in Pakistan are generally for the
peaceful overtures given by President Pervez Musharraf, last of which
was his call for considering as irrelevant the Line of Control in the
quake-stricken Kashmir.
"The
PPP has always advocated a better and friendly relationship between
Pakistan and India. For that it was Mohtarama (honorable) Benazir
Bhutto who had initially talked about soft borders policy between the
two countries. The movement of people on the Line of Control was also
initiated by her at that time when she visited India before Musharraf
started taking U-turns," leader of the Opposition in Sindh
Assembly and a central leader of Pakistan People's Party(PPP) Nisar
Ahmed Khuhro told IOL from his hometown in Larkana city.
He
was commenting on the call by Musharraf for demilitarizing Kashmir
that has been a bone of contention between the two impoverished
nations since they achieved independence from the British colonialists
in August 1947.
"There
was a phrase once used by the Indian leadership-let's make the LOC
irrelevant. I am making it irrelevant. I say let's open five
points. Let's have easy travel. Am I not trying to do that? So let's
do it," Musharraf told Saudi Arab News daily, in an interview
published Sunday.
"You
are absolutely right. This is an opportunity. You are very right that
we are spending too much money on the military. I am for
demilitarization. If they agree to that, we will too. We are very
flexible. We are absolutely open to moving forward to the ultimate
solution. You cannot clap with one hand; you can only clap with
two."
The
interview of the military general that made headlines in all
Pakistani newspapers Monday have generally been hailed by Pakistanis,
including top politicians, academics and peace activists but with some
reservations.
Will
of People
 |
|
Kashmiri survivors need a chance to live in peace. (Reuters).
|
Professor
Ghafoor Ahmed, naib amir (deputy leader) of Jaamat-i-Islami(JI),
endorsed peace moves despite expressing skepticism about the rulers in
India and Pakistan.
"The
common man in Pakistan and India wants to live with peace and
tranquility. It's India who has always been insisting that Kashmir is
its part and parcel. As many as 70,000 people have been martyred in
Kashmir and it has become clear that it is the indigenous
population that can ensure peace. The issue (Kashmir conflict)
should be resolved with the consent of Kashmiri people."
Anees
Haroon, secretary-general of Pakistan-India People's Forum for Peace
and Democracy(PIPFD) told IOL: "It's really sad that such a big
tragedy had to happen to make our rulers realize the importance of
peace and need for an amicable resolution of the conflict.
Anyway, the change in things is a positive step and I hope it
will continue."
Academics,
too, hailed the idea of demilitarization and even cherished the idea
of a confederation between the two neighbors that have been wasting
their precious resources on warfare and jingoism for the last 58 years
irrespective of the fact that more than 33 per cent of their
population is living below the poverty line.
"The
military regime of Pakistan has come to the conclusion after 9/11 that
the Kashmir issue cannot be resolved with armed struggle or war,"
leading economist and political analyst Professor S.M. Naseer told
IOL.
"Secondly,
the United States is also putting pressure on both the governments to
resolve the problem with the hope that in future, India will be able
to contain and confront China.
"But
in both the countries the problem has been that a culture of enmity
has been cultivated consciously to serve their adventurous interests.
Now this catastrophe has moved the people and their psyche,
particularly the Kashmiris and a spirit of cooperation and help in
this hour of disaster has come on the surface," he added.
Quake
Effect
Naseer
made it clear, however, that a stable peace in the sub-continent
was only possible if autonomy was granted to Kashmiris.
"The
softening of LOC is possible. It can be visualized that both parts of
the Kashmir will have more autonomy in their respective parts and they
will remain as part of India and Pakistan as they exist today.
And later it may pave the way for a confederation between India and
Pakistan."
Tauseef
Ahmed Khan, a professor at Karachi's Urdu University was more
specific in signaling the effects of the massive earthquake of October
8.
"The
assistance from Indian-held Kashmir could have materialized much
earlier. The Indian government as well as the people stuck up on LOC
made such an appeal much earlier.
"But
it was after the exertion of international pressure that the Musharraf
government has taken a decision to open five points on the LOC. But
one need not say that the offer of demilitarization in Kashmir is a
very important turning point in the history of the two neighbors who
have been hostile to each other since they achieved independence amid
much bloodshed in 1947 followed by three deadly wars and it must
be welcomed by all saner elements."
Dr.
Muthahir Ahmed, a professor of international relations at the
University of Karachi said it seems the peace process in the
sub-continent was moving towards a higher plane.
"The
stance of President Musharraf should be viewed positively. When the
peace process started in the sub-continent the major issues were
peace, stability, cooperation, trade and Kashmir.
"The
entire peace process has been revolving around these issues. It seems
the initial phase of the peace process has entered a new, more mature
phase. I mean the process of realization has now started and it seems
there will be a major breakthrough on Kashmir issue in future."
The
October 8 earthquake, which killed more than 58,000 people in Pakistan
and some 2,000 in India, came amid a peace process between the two
countries which have gone to war two times over Kashmir.
In
April, there were emotional scenes among Kashmiri families who were
reunited after decades apart when Pakistan and India started a
"peace bus" linking Srinagar and Muzaffarabad.
A
year ago, Musharraf outlined a range of bold new
options for solving the thorny issue of divided Kashmir that included
independence, joint control with India and demilitarization.
On
Saturday, October 29, blasts hit a bus and two markets crowded with
thousands of shoppers getting ready for Diwali, the Hindu festival of
lights on November 1, turning a night of celebration into a scene of
mayhem and bloodshed as at least 69 people were killed and 210 others
were wounded.
India
late Monday made hints about possible links between the perpetrators
and Pakistani-based Kashmiri rebel groups, but Islamabad swiftly
denied the charges, defying New Delhi to prove its accusations.
An
Indian writer and analysts has already ruled out the possibility that
the shuddering blasts could be work of a Kashmiri group, saying they
were were rather the work of a terrorist outfit, which aims to throw a
spanner in the recent signs of rapprochement between India and
Pakistan.
|
