realised that if we focus on cooperation instead of confrontation then perhaps one day we can also come to a solution on Kashmir, one that will give the people of Kashmir the right to determine their own future.
Nawaz Sharif’s offer of dialogue and cooperation is the current trend in international politics. As a Pakistani political analyst, it is refreshing to know that after 70 years we are finally showing some courage by offering to change the status quo.
It is not uncommon for a state to have normal relations with another even if there is a conflict. Take for example the recent negotiations between the United States and Iran. Although both countries have had issues with one another in the past, they were able to move forward. President Barack Obama even shook hands with the Iranian foreign minister at the UNGA.
India and China are another great example. Despite having gone to war in the past, both countries have investments worth billions of dollars in each other, and for the most part enjoy a peaceful relationship.
The prime minister’s offer does not mean that Kashmir will be put on the backburner; Kashmir remains a core issue, and we will continue to work towards a peaceful solution.
Nawaz Sharif has made his intentions very clear; the only hurdle that remains is Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government.
Instead of appreciating our offer of peace, and agreeing to start work with the four-point initiative, Prime Minister Modi had his Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj reject the extended olive branch.
Swaraj said that Pakistan must give up terrorism and only then would India talk. She made many claims against us while speaking at the UNGA, offering no evidence to back up what she was saying. By rejecting Nawaz Sharif’s overture of peace, she has killed any possibility of cooperation, and has chosen to continue with the policy of belligerence and confrontation – against the current international trend.
Prime Minister Modi must realise that we cannot continue living the way we have for the past 70 years. An opportunity for permanent peace has been offered, and Modi should take it. The four points recommended by Nawaz Sharif are easy to implement and do not call for huge compromises or sacrifices on either side. If the Indians take this peace initiative seriously, not only will we have economic cooperation but it will also automatically lead to security cooperation, alleviating false Indian fears that we are using terrorism as a “legitimate instrument of statecraft”.
It is time to stop playing games, and change the course of our future generations for the better. We are both nuclear states, which means that war is not an option for us. Let us move forward and abandon our plans for cold starts and hot wars. We both know what the other is capable of; it is time to stop comparing the size of our arsenals. Let us abandon the idea of all kinds of conflicts, and for once just focus on developing a relationship based on trust and mutual respect.
Peace and stability in Kashmir along with economic cooperation leading to cooperation in other areas, like security, will guarantee a financially healthy, prosperous and vibrant future for both countries.
The writer is an assistant professor at the National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad. Twitter: umarwrites