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| India-Pakistan |
| India has to sacrifice on Kashmir, says Jamali |
| 2003-08-05 |
| The gall of some people! LONDON: Pakistan Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali has said that India would have to make concessions on Kashmir that could colloquially be quantified as "hundred rupees" for "a big country" to "a-rupee-and-a-half" for a "smaller one" like Pakistan. In a wide-ranging, live interview jointly broadcast by the BBC’s Hindi and Urdu Services, Jamali affirmed that "the core issue is Kashmir" and because "India occupies the larger territory of Kashmir. We have to ask for concessions for the Kashmiris from India." It’s kind of like welfare. The rich folk give money to the poor folk. Jamali’s extortion is ironic since India was a leader of the Non-Aligned Movement, which for years has demanded transnational welfare payments from the US and the rest of the developed world (but especially the US). The interview, billed as the first time the Pakistan prime minister was able to have a direct conversation with listeners in India, also re-stated the unshakeable strategic foundations of Pakistan’s Kashmir strategy. "You would have to see Kashmir as one," Jamali declared, "You cannot divide Kashmir into two and then see the matter! You would have to see who occupies what part of Kashmir! In whose favour is which part! Which is the bigger and the powerful country? It is the bigger country that has to sacrifice." Jamali insisted he was keen to meet Prime Minister Vajpayee anytime, anywhere, possibly even before January’s Saarc summit. |
| Posted by:11A5S |
| #6 given topography a fence is probably out of the question. Look how many infiltrators cross the misleadingly named "Line of Control" |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-8-5 11:22:03 AM |
| #5 Liberalhawk is right, they should accept the status quo in kashmir and build a fence (along the lines of the one the Israeli's are building). Problem is, every Indian I've every talked too about the situation is not really flexible on the issue and status quo is not good enough. |
| Posted by: Yank 2003-8-5 10:43:04 AM |
| #4 Agreed LH. He's saying that India is a big, wealthy (by Pak standards anyway) country and should make all of the concessions. The irony as I see it is that India and the rest of the NAM used to use the same exact negotiating ploy with the US. (Forgive our debts! After all we are poor and you are so rich. It's exploitation, I tell ya!) I think that this is a purposeful insult to India. |
| Posted by: 11A5S 2003-8-5 10:34:10 AM |
| #3 LH - Methinks you're spot-on. If they divide Kashmir, the Paki's "win", however, in that tiny speck of grey matter shared amongst the Indians. The Izzoids use the pop count when it suits them, other measures when it doesn't. In any case, it appears to be IsmoCreep to me - and somewhere around 800 million Indians will see it that way, too. Should be interesting to see what sort of response India decides upon. |
| Posted by: ·com 2003-8-5 10:30:36 AM |
| #2 11 - i dont think hes actually asking for money, just using money to quantify how little he thinks Pak should concede on Kashmir. The big question is whether to keep Kashmir as one or divide it. If you keep it as one it seems clear that the majority would votefor independence or Pakistan - if you divide it a big chunk would vote to stay Indian. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-8-5 9:24:52 AM |
| #1 After India's recent efforts to open doors, this is rather a slap in the face, it seems. Mebbe RamaLamaDinDong Jamali should avoid live interviews in the future. I can only imagine the steam this generated in the Indian Govt. I think they're both half-assed moronic asshat stuck-in-amber and/or crazed-loonie Govt's, but still... |
| Posted by: ·com 2003-8-5 2:30:39 AM |