Dialogue needed

This refers to the article, 'Kashmir: one year on' ( August 5) by Mohammad Zubair. The writer has overlooked the fact that the Kashmir issue has been lingering since Partition. It is true that India revoked the special status of Kashmir and annexed Occupied Kashmir illegally and unconstitutionally. But the way Imran Khan highlighted the Kashmir issue in his historic speech in the UN was unprecedented; our 100 embassies failed to do this in 71 years. With just one speech you don't expect miracles but it has been a big breakthrough.

It is true that Pakistan’s successive governments, despite their efforts, failed to muster international support on the Kashmir issue. Kashmir's fate was finally sealed in the Simla agreement when Bhutto agreed that this issue will be solved bilaterally allowing the UN to sleep over it. It is true that the status of Occupied Kashmir has been changed during Imran Khan's rule but it is incorrect to suggest that Khan failed to exploit the situation and failed to force India to hold plebiscite. The writer failed to suggest measures on how to pursue Modi to resolve the issue. Let us admit that we cannot win Kashmir by another war. That option is over; it has to be settled through extensive dialogue between the two countries with flexibility. Its time the nation gets united and opposition should for a change stop criticising each other and accept the reality that change is taking place and the journey will go on for a better and prosperous Pakistan.

Mukhtar Ahmed

Karachi