BOSTON: National Conference Working President Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said both India and Pakistan owe Kashmiris a credible peace process that would result in a sustainable solution of the Kashmir Issue.
“India and Pakistan should stop trying to beat each other at diplomatic fora and claim victory but rather allow the people of Kashmir win from a peace process. Kashmiris have suffered a lot due to the fact that India and Pakistan have failed to initiate a comprehensive and sustained peace process that would simultaneously facilitate dialogue at both external and internal fronts,” Abdullah said while addressing a gathering of analysts, faculty and students at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts.
As a panellist on a panel discussion titled ‘Kashmir – Breaking the Impasse’ held during the 2017 India Conference at the prestigious university, Omar further said, “for what Kashmiris have gone through, they deserve the uninterrupted and undivided attention of both India and Pakistan with a demonstrated intention and political will to resolve the political issue.”
The NC Working President said trade, development and operational processes through administrative mechanisms can’t replace a lasting political solution to the Kashmir Issue.
“The issue in Kashmir is inherently one of a political nature and requires a broad-based and credible political approach based on the tenets of empathy and statesmanship. The conventional investment in a policy of diplomatic one-upmanship or containment and operational management of the political sentiment in Kashmir has created a prolonged and dangerous phase of political vacuum and uncertainty in Kashmir”, the National Conference Working President said.
“The institution of dialogue has unfortunately been discredited by rare initiatives taken as fire fighting steps only to be abandoned later. There is a strong perception in Kashmir that such rare political initiatives were taken only to buy time till relative peace was achieved, only to be left midway and abandoned later. This has resulted in an atmosphere of skepticism and hopelessness – which makes the issue even more complex. The first challenge is to restore faith in the institution and processes of dialogue and engagement”, said Abdullah.
“Diplomatic engagement between New Delhi and Islamabad – both on the Kashmir issue as well as generally – has been defined by inconsistency and ambiguity. While successive Governments in India and Pakistan have engaged with each other on Kashmir, we have achieved precious little as glimmers of hope have turned into despair as all such initiatives were derailed,” he added and said, “we need to chart a new way away from egoistical stands and clichés and realize the enormous human costs of a prolonged conflict in Kashmir. For a mutually acceptable, lasting and sustainable solution to be achieved, it is important that both New Delhi and Islamabad rise above domestic challenges and politics and play sober, constructive and result-oriented roles in their engagement on Kashmir.”
“History bears witness to the fact that the most complex, seemingly intractable political conflicts in the world have been resolved through evolution and innovation. Tried and tested formulations of dealing with the Kashmir Issue militarily or administratively or as a diplomatic battle are bound to be counterproductive,” said the NC stalwart.
He asserted that the time has come to engage with the political sentiment in Kashmir and emulate various successful political initiatives from around the world where such conflicts were resolved.
“There are various solutions that have been suggested over the years and there are many other agreements and treatise of conflict resolution that could form a basis of general emulation and inspiration. The key to unlocking a future of peace lies in acknowledging and respecting the political sentiment and aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir”, said Abdullah.