SOME people may choose to denounce views of a senior leader of the Hurriyat Conference, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, that UN resolutions of 1948-49 on the Kashmir dispute are impractical, but is he saying something really strange?

We all know that no one in the world community is interested (other than Pakistan as it is an affected party) to talk about these resolutions. Pakistan can’t enforce these resolutions by military means. Then what is the solution?

Prof Bhat called for taking up Parvez Musharraf’s four-point formula to solve the Kashmir issue in a step-by-step manner.

According to this formula, both Pakistan and India first need to allow free movement and free trade between the two parts of Kashmir, both armies to be withdrawn from the conflict zone.

A joint management should take up matters of common interest like governance, river waters and industrial growth. After 10 to 15 years, Kashmiri people should decide whether to continue with the joint management of the valley.

If the response is ‘yes’, Kashmir dispute is resolved forever. If by somehow the joint management process is not favoured, then alternative arrangement should be worked out according to the wishes of both sides of the Kashmiri people.

Bhat was of the view that Kashmiris should be recognised as the architects of their own destiny and, therefore, a dialogue process should start among the three concerned parties -- Pakistan, India and Kashmir.

The process has to be productive and time-bound. Pakistan and India may choose to remain hostage to the ills of the subcontinent’s partition. These ills have proved to be the stumbling block in the progress. Both countries are maintaining the world’s third and seventh largest armies, spending greater percentage of GDP on the defence budget while millions are deprived of education, health care, sanitation, clean water or even shelter.

But Bhat’s views will be denounced by hardliners on both sides of the border because keeping the Kashmir conflict ‘alive’ serves a number of parties.

Beneficiaries include military, hardline political parties, and weapons manufacturing and selling ventures. Perhaps one day we may have strong governments in Pakistan and India which may come forward with an out-of-the-box solution to correct the mistakes done by their predecessors 64 years back.

MASOOD KHAN Saudi Arab