by Sulaiman Mueez 30 September 2023
“Pakistan desires peaceful and productive relations with all our neighbours, including India. Kashmir is the key to peace between Pakistan and India”. Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq Kakar strongly conveyed the message in the halls of the United Nations. In his address to the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Prime Minister Kakar reiterated Pakistan’s stance on the matter of mutual cooperation with India. The Jammu & Kashmir dispute, in the words of the Prime Minister, has been the longest standing issue on the agenda of the Security Council. Despite the many resolutions on the issue, directing India to hold the plebiscite in the region so the people can decide their own path forward towards joining either side. The development of the South Asian region is mired with the tensions between two neighboring nuclear states and Kashmir is at the epicenter of all that polarization. To that end, Prime Minister Kakar emphasized the importance of resolving the Kashmir dispute because the development of the region is dependent on mutual cooperation which is not possible without reflecting the well wishes of Kashmiri people.
Pakistan has maintained the Kashmir conflict as a core issue of national security in regards to the relations with India. Due to various historical and political factors, Kashmir is a key issue between India and Pakistan that has repercussions for their ability to cooperate. The partition of the subcontinent into today’s Pakistan and India in 1947 is the origin of the Kashmir conflict. Jammu and Kashmir, a princely state at the time, was to hold the referendum to decide which state they will accede to. However, the Maharaja of Kashmir decided to merge with India and the dubious nature of the Instrument of Accession sheds light on the ambiguous nature of mergence. The path to peace has been significantly obstructed by this historical disagreement. Majority of the Kashmiri people are muslim which makes it an integral part of Pakistan’s policy to advocate for their rights. After the abolition of its special status from the Indian constitution, the whole region came under military lockdown when more than 900,000 Indian soldiers entered into the valley. This event caused quite an uproar in the international community as it puts the security of South Asia in turmoil. Both Pakistan and India possess a strong military and nuclear arsenal that threatens not only South Asia but for global security apparatus as consequences are too far reaching. The natural flow of water from Himalayas Mountain goes through Kashmir valley and then breaks into Pakistan and India also increases the significance of the valley. This puts the idea of bilateral trade and reducing hostility a complicated diplomatic issue.
The Prime Minister’s speech was praised by many Kashmiri leaders including APHC chairman Masarat Alam Butt. Masarat Alam is leader of The All Parties Hurriyat Conference and right now jailed in New Delhi by the Indian government for his activism for the liberation of his people from Indian government’s atrocities. He relayed his message that Pakistan is the true champion of Kashmir cause and raised the concerns of Kashmiri people on a global forum. “Kashmiris are indebted to Pakistan for representing them at international forums and expressing unequivocal support to the just struggle of right to self-determination,” he added. In separate comments made by other Hurriyat leaders such Khadim Hussain, Sibte Shabbir Qummi, and Maulana Musaib Nadvi urged the international community to support a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir problem expressed by the Pakistani Prime Minister in his speech to the UNGA. Prime Minister of Azad Jammu & Kashmir Chaudhry Anwarul Haq also praised Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq Kakar for highlighting Kashmir cause and urging for a peaceful resolution. He advocated for a joint global reciprocation of Pakistan’s clarion call of holding the referendum and univocally address the ongoing humanitarian crisis since 2019.
The Prime Minister carefully presented Pakistan’s case for the possibility of cooperation with India. He asserted the importance of the Kashmir issue and how it is incumbent for the peace and future development of their mutual relations. Furthermore, he also discussed India’s operations in the area since August 5, 2019, including the substantial troop deployment, the implementation of lockdowns and curfews, the detention of Kashmiri leaders, and charges of human rights violations like extrajudicial killings and collective punishment. Another issue brought up by numerous international organizations, such as the UN High Commission for Human Rights and Special Rapporteurs, is the prohibition of access to occupied Kashmir. At the height of Covid Pandemic, India even restricted reporting of international journalists about the plight of Kashmiri people. Overall, the Prime Minister delivered a brilliant speech, referring to international bodies such as the Security Council and UN commission of human rights. He used persuasive language by establishing the just cause of Kashmir presented by Pakistan on international forums and advocacy for a peaceful resolution. He established Pakistan’s position on regional stability and development by emphasizing the significance of Kashmir dispute and that only a peaceful Kashmir could be the messenger of fostering relations between India and Pakistan.