Bilateral issue

This refers to the article ‘Victims of geopolitics: Palestine and Kashmir’ (Oct 26) by Javid Husain. He is quite right as far as the facts are concerned about the miserable situation in Palestine and Kashmir today. However, if I may say so, I think there is a big difference between the Palestine and Kashmir issue. The former remains on the UN agenda as a major international issue and the world must pay attention to this.

However, Kashmir is now globally conceded to be a bilateral issue between Pakistan and India ever since we signed the 1972 Simla Agreement. ZA Bhutto accepted the agreement terms for a definite purpose to secure the release of thousands of Pakistani war prisoners held in India at the time. Its central point remains that Pakistan and India have to work together to solve our mutual problems, including Kashmir. It is hard to accept this fact, but here we are. It is time we had a new political government to take up this issue at a state-to-state level.

Dr Ilyas M B Khan

Mansehra