Sir,
This refers to first lead “ CM seeks ….” (DE 24 April). The desire to have peace between India and Pakistan reflected in the words of CM Ms Mufti is pious. There was peace in the State until late 1989-90 when Kashmiri youth trained in terrorism returned from training in PoK camps and let lose hell in Kashmir. Ever since, Indian State is fighting terrorism in Kashmir. The simple logic is that peace can be restored only when Kashmiri militants supported outright by ISI and separatists in Kashmir give up the gun and return to the fold.
Therefore, instead of pontificating on India and Pakistan to come to peace, Ms Mufti should forget the two countries and their relations and concentrate on impressing upon the native militants (on whosewounds lots of balm/marham has been applied by now) and their ISI mentors to drop the gun and allow Kashmir life of peace. Her pontification to India and Pakistan is only to send a message to the armed militants and their cohorts that the government is trying to allow them leverage and shift the onus to the two countries of which one is the source of disruption of peace in Kashmir. Instead of making hypocritical statement of peace-talks between the two countries, she must make a bold announcement asking militants to surrender or face annihilation. She must beseech Indian security forces to destroy the militants lock, stock and barrel and rid entire state of their wretched presence. Unless these militants are liquidated and unless extirpated religious minority of Pandits resettled in Kashmir, peace will remain elusive even if we wait for a hundred years. That is statesmanship.
By bringing in the example of the US and Iran, she is betraying her abject ignorance of the underlying facts about Iran-US relations. Comparison with India-Pakistan is totally irrelevant. The CM should understand that Pakistan has no love lost for most of her own people, Balochs, Sindhis, Mohajirs, Pushtoons, Mirpuris, Shias, Ahmadis, Christians et al, leave aside Kashmiris, who, through six-yearly assembly elections in past 70 years have frustrated Pakistani Army and its Punjabi constituency to their bones. They are looking for revenge and are not going to offer bouquets to Kashmiris. If Islam is the binding force, why Bangladesh? Pakistan means GHQ and GHQ runs through Pentagon. I hope the CM has no illusions about that.
Yours etc….
K.N. Pandita
Jammu
Follow our WhatsApp channel