KARACHI: ‘India is solely responsible for militancy in Kashmir’
“If it is a negotiated settlement and not imposed, only then can it last for some time,” he said while talking to the editorial board of daily Dawn. Replying to a question, he said that negotiations meant that parties to the conflict are prepared to show some flexibility and do not remain glued to their stated position. “That would only lead to confrontation,” he added.
Asked to explain his government’s and party’s position vis-à-vis the militants who are engaged in fighting Indian forces in Indian occupied Kashmir, Sardar Atiq said: “our position is very clear. India is solely responsible for militancy in Kashmir. Indians resorted to massive military concentration to push the Kashmiris to the wall. They had no choice but to retaliate.
Afghanistan fallout
“We have no capacity to stop the non-state and unwanted elements. It is happening as fallout of the Afghanistan situation. As far as Kashmiris are concerned, they must be seen in the right perspective. Due to the Indian military presence, the villages where people lived peacefully, kids are now playing with weapons. As long as this concentration remains, there will be a reaction.
“With regard to indigenous militancy, we believe that if the world can negotiate with militants in Ireland and elsewhere, why can’t the same be done in Kashmir? Such elements in the territory should also be included in the process with all the stakeholders,” said Sardar Atiq.
Asked how the non-indigenous elements could be handled, the AJK PM said “a section of Kashmiris are fighting against repression. It must be noted that only those elements engaged in militancy are successful who have some following. If the people realize that there is another way to fulfil the same objective through negotiations, then some militant elements will also fizzle out because they will lose sanctuaries and there will be a decline in their popular support.”
He claimed Indian troops were themselves supplying arms to the militants.
Power projects
Asked how the power projects which he had talked about could be implemented despite India’s Kishanganga project and diversion of river waters, Sardar Atiq said that despite that there was enough water to produce 17,000 megawatts of electricity. “In Muzaffarabad we have started work on 969MW project at a cost of Rs130 billion. The Chinese are involved in that project.”
When he was asked whether he had contacted former chief minister of Indian held Kashmir Ghulam Nabi Azad with regard to promoting CBMs, Sardar Atiq said that he had on numerous occasions proposed the need for some arrangement between the Muzaffarabad and Srinagar governments “so that we can be of some help to New Delhi and Islamabad in pushing forward the peace process.
“We engaged ourselves in some adventures in this regard. It is very important because if at any time India and Pakistan decide to slow down or halt the peace process due to the international situation, then what would be the substitute?
“In that situation Muzaffarabad and Srinagar can shoulder the responsibility according to their capacity. That can only happen when such liaison is established beforehand. Our position is that rather than engaging in the blame game, we can improve relations and trade while maintaining our stated positions.”
Asked what would be the outcome of the next elections in Kashmir, he said that the Indians have given an indication by imposing Governor Rule in the territory.
He said that it was not prudent to link everything with the resolution of the Kashmir issue.
‘Subversive designs’
He admitted that by design, both India and Pakistan had subverted each other’s position causing economic and other losses. “That mindset must change.”
He also called for declaring Kashmir a nuclear-free zone, although he recognized that nuclearization of both India and Pakistan internationalized the issue. In the context of CBMs, he said that the release of over 430 Kashmiri prisoners in Indian custody would help improve the situation. He also referred to the unilateral ceasefire along the Line of Control announced by Pervez Musharraf and said “we hoped that India would respond by declaring a ceasefire in the whole of the territory. That would have provided it a face-saving method to pull out troops and would have helped in the free movement of Kashmiris. Such CBMs will serve the interest of Kashmiris.”
He also cautioned New Delhi against the growing defiance of its authority by the Indian military in Kashmir.
Sardar Atiq also welcomed the response of Pakistanis, especially the residents of Karachi, during the 2005 earthquake and claimed the rehabilitation and reconstruction process was continuing.