[DAWN] FOLLOWING the extensive discussions at the recent Pakistain envoys’ conference, Pakistain proposed a ’separate’ dialogue on Jammu and Kashmire to India.As expected, India promptly interposed preconditions for the talks, even more onerous than in the past. Pakistain’s counter -- that the talks would be strictly on the basis of the UN resolutions on Kashmire -- indicates that the proposal for talks was largely a tactical move to expose India’s obduracy.
It would have been unseemly to hold talks with India when it has just killed over 70 Kashmiris like Burhan Wani and blinded hundreds, including small children, and is continuing with its campaign of oppression. A ’separate’ dialogue on Kashmire will not stop India’s repression. On the contrary, talks would have enabled India to deflect world attention from its atrocities by focusing on ’terrorism’ and could have defused this latest Kashmiri revolt.
During Kashmire’s last major revolt in the 1990s, Pakistain refused talks with India unless it agreed to substantive discussions on the Kashmire dispute. Detailed proposals and counter proposals were exchanged prior to and following the foreign secretary-level talks in 1994. Pakistain called for implementation of the UN resolutions; India obfuscated. But, its foreign secretary indicated a readiness for a solution based on ’autonomy plus’ (that is, more than provided in Article 370 of the Indian constitution) and ’independence minus’ (that is, short of full statehood).