Kashmir is a word that evokes a lot of strong emotional feelings in Pakistanis. The Pakistani leaders, elected and otherwise, have always held a strong ideological association with Kashmir.This has made the public feel that Kashmir is an unequivocal part of Pakistan and due to shared beliefs , Kashmiris are closer to Pakistan than to India.
Kashmir has been the cause of many wars between India and Pakistan and it has always been the one issue that has had the biggest hand in keeping these two countries with a shared history and culture from making peace with one another.
According to Hussain Haqqani ( Pakistan’s former ambassador to the US) Pakistan needs to let go of its ideological obsession with Kashmir and introspect as Pakistan has lost the international support with respect to the Kashmir issue. Pakistan instead of being stuck on the Kashmir issue, needs to realize that there are a lot of less contentious issues between India and Pakistan that can be resolved rather easily and can propel the Indo-Pak relationship forward while Kashmir can be left, to be tackled for another day.
We are battling with a host of issues ranging from terrorism to unemployment.Instead of becoming hung up with an unachievable object like Kashmir, we would be better served if we starting looking inwards rather than outwards.
4 comments:
Kashmir issue is the main reason for the poor relations between Pakistan and India. Regardless of the issues that Pakistan internally faces, Pakistan and India need to solve this issue in order to bring stability in the region and in retrospect, in the two countries as well.
I agree with your point and I think Kashmir should have this right to decide with which country it wants to be part of. Neither India nor Pakistan have this right to decide the fate of kashmiris.
I think that a just and equitable solution on Kashmir is vitally needed. Sure Pakistan and India need closer ties and should move beyond issues like Kashmir. But for the sake of the Kashmiri people, this issue needs to be resolved. All people deserve freedom and the Kashmiri people are stuck as pawns in a endless chess match between India and Pakistan.
The Kashmir issue has grown beyond a rational one towards a question of superiority. The lay man barely has any idea why we need Kashmir but is rampant in his argument that we must get Kashmir simply because it has become a matter of national pride and losing it would mean a blow at the hands of India. We have invested so much in the quest for Kashmir that we simply cannot give up regardless of whether the benefits to us are lower than the costs to achieve it. Kashmir has become a metaphorical prize, one that our egos driven by extreme animosity for India cannot afford to lose.
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