“I do hope that immediate steps will be taken by the Paramount Power to intervene and hold an inquiry into the recent occurrences in Kashmir which have resulted in bloodshed and the ruthless measure of oppression and suppression that have been adopted by the Kashmir Government against the people and the press. From all accounts that I have received, there does not exist in Kashmir any freedom of thought or speech”. Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Way back on September 11, 1945, Quaid expressed his solidarity with the people of Jammu & Kashmir, advocating for the restoration of their rights, which were usurped by the Maharaja of Kashmir during the British Raj. It seems the process of denying fundamental rights in J&K which drew the attention of Quaid culminated into the absorption of J&K under Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act of August 5, 2019 by New Delhi.
Kashmir, which was termed as an unfinished agenda of partition, failed to materialise during the 1948, 1965 and 1999 Kargil wars. Why the erosion of age-old slogan of Kashmir as an unfinished agenda of partition got a practical shape or there is still hope that someday J&K will become part of Pakistan? Not only India but also vast segment of international community considers Pakistan’s claim over Jammu and Kashmir as a lost case, particularly after the absorption of that territory in the fold of Indian union. The vision of the Quaid about Kashmir being part of Pakistan got blurred because of back-to-back blunders of various regimes as they missed several opportunities to seize J&K from India. What Pakistan got was merely one-third of the territory of J&K named as Azad Kashmir and Gilgit & Baltistan. How Pakistan lost the remaining part of Kashmir depicts a process of neglect and incompetence of Islamabad. Neither 1948 war, nor so-called ‘Operation Gilbralter’ of 1965 or the Kargil operation of 1999 succeeded in causing any dent in the Indian hold over J&K but rather it got strengthened under the Modi regime of New Delhi’s for the absorption of its controlled parts of Jammu & Kashmir.
For India, J&K remained its integral part whereas the concept of Kashmir as its lifeline for Pakistan diminished with the passage of time. The growing power and confidence of India in the last three decades enabled several Indian leaders including Raj Nath, the current defense minister under Modi regime to claim Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir as its part and threatened Pakistan of seeking control of both the territories.
Why and how the Indian leadership got so much of confidence and space to reinforce its claim over Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir? Why Pakistan failed to restrain India from absorbing J&K on August 5, 2019 by abolishing its so-called special status? Is there any plausible and functional strategy on the part of Pakistan to restrain India from launching any adventure to wrest Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir from Islamabad?
Taking advantage of Pakistan’s perennial political and economic malaise India began to adopt an assertive position on Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir so much so that it threatened to absorb both territories of J&K under Pakistani control like what it did in case of Jammu, Valley and Ladakh. It means, Pakistani regimes in view of their failure in governance, democracy, economy and the rule of law provided an ample opportunity to several Indian regimes give a practical shape to their expansionist designs. When Pakistan lost its majority part in 1971, it was expected that adequate lessons will be learned to prevent the process of alienation of minority provinces. Ironically, no lessons were learned and the state of Pakistan continued to deal with feelings of ultra-nationalism and regionalism in minority provinces of Balochistan, KPK and Sindh. As a result, the people of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir were unable to restrain feelings of alienation from Islamabad. So much so that few months ago in Kashmir, wide-spread protests and demonstrations took place against soaring electricity prices which compelled Islamabad to slash energy costs. In Gilgit-Baltistan also the interference of Islamabad to install its own type of government augmented feelings of alienation. It means, the very slogan of Kashmir as a life line of Pakistan lost its momentum because of policies reflecting denying fundamental rights particularly to minority provinces.
If India is accused of blatant human rights violation against its controlled parts of J&K, it succeeded in the recent times to unleash the process of modernization of infrastructure and economic development. The holding of tourism conference in Srinagar under the fold of G-20 in May last year was termed as evidence of normalcy in J&K. India has connected with highways and railways Ladakh, Valley and Jammu with rest of India. Whereas, Pakistan is grappling with issues of political instability, economic crisis, misgovernance and the surge of centrifugal forces particularly in its minority provinces and its controlled parts of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir.
The slogan of Jammu & Kashmir as an unfinished agenda of the partition of the Indian sub-continent is fast transforming as a myth than reality because of three main reasons. First, inept policies of several Pakistani regimes since 1947 till today of launching misadventures to seize the control of Indian parts of J&K by force. Both operation Gibraltar and Kargil adventure ended up in a failure because in both cases the response of India was miscalculated. When those who launched both these operations failed to understand that they lacked the capability to sustain their plans with India embarking on escalating conflict into its international borders with Pakistan the die was cast and, on both occasions, Pakistan had to retreat.
Furthermore, Pakistan also failed to get adequate support from the international community for reinforcing its cause on J&K. Pakistan also failed to make use of UN Security Council resolutions passed way back in 1948 and 1949 for holding plebiscite on J&K. Second, despite possessing nuclear weapons Pakistan’s fragile economic position, political crisis and the rule of law issue weakened its stance on J&K. A weak state with survival issues cannot confront a powerful neighbour. Because of indifference of international community despite massive violation of human rights by the Indian military in its controlled parts of J&K, Pakistan failed to effectively raise its case before the UN Security Council, General Assembly, OIC, International human rights organisations and other fora. It means the erosion of Pakistan’s stance over J&K provided India an opportunity to absorb its controlled parts of J&K and threaten Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir. The Kshmiri diaspora which is in millions was also unable to raise the conscious of international community to support the cause of freedom and a respectable way of life.
Finally, the only viable option for Pakistan to reinforce its legitimate position on J&K is to strength its economy, political stability, getting serious to provide good governance, rule of law and to focus on providing better education, human and social development. A weak Pakistan with survival issues cannot transform the slogan of Kashmir as an unfinished agenda of partition into a reality. What matters is honest, hardworking and intelligent leadership which is above corruption and nepotism. Political pluralism and inclusive mode of governance will one day fulfill the vision of Quaid on Jammu & Kashmir into a reality. Otherwise, the future of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir will also be at stake.
—The writer is Meritorious Professor of International Relations and former
Dean Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Karachi. He can be reached at: amoonis@hotmail.com)
