Pak chicanery

The sinister designs of an erring neighbour are once again apparent. While making empty rhetoric on its intentions to negotiate peace with India, Pakistani establishment demonstrates its utter duplicity yet again. It invited separatists from Kashmir region for talks ahead of a meeting of top security officials from the two countries.

This move is expected to create irritants in the strenuous efforts to restart the stalled dialogue between the two neighbours. It may be recalled here that India abruptly called off peace talks with Pakistan a year ago after Islamabad consulted separatists before the meeting between their Foreign Secretaries.

India firmly conveyed to the Pakistan that invitation to Kashmiri separatists would tantamount to interference in its internal affairs. Despite knowing India’s stand, Pakistan chose to repeat the same, which points to its chicanery. Whatever Pakistan may believe, India always held that Kashmir’s accession to India is final and irreversible. The Kashmir valley including that under the Pakistani possession is an integral part of India.

Earlier, Indian governments had grudgingly tolerated meetings between Pakistan and separatist Kashmiri leaders. Even Vajpayee government did so. But, the Narendra Modi government decided not to tolerate any such move by Islamabad. One can agree or disagree with Modi government‘s decision to cancel peace talks on this pretext.

But, knowing full well the response of India under Modi dispensation, Pakistan repeating the same will only reveal the hypocrisy of our hostile neighbour. The international community should take note of Pakistan’s belligerency. The people of Kashmir valley participated in the electoral process despite the boycott call by separatists. Inviting separatist leaders is not just a violation of Indian sovereignty, but is an attempt to give credence to separatists, most of whom are now reduced to paper tigers.

India always stated that Kashmir is only a bilateral issue and there is no room for international or third party mediation. There are only two things left in this regard. Pakistan should be dissuaded from exporting terror to India. Acknowledgment of its complicity in terror attacks on Indian soil is coming from even Pakistani side.

The other unattended issue is the Pakistani occupation of certain territories of Kashmir. Islamabad has to forthwith vacate from the territories which India describe as Pak-Occupied Kashmir (POK). Pakistan’s attempt to involve separatists from Kashmir in the bilateral peace process is a brazen effort to cover up its preposterous foreign policy.

The people of Pak-Occupied Kashmir are denied basic democratic rights while India is making earnest effort to uphold democratic process in Kashmir Valley. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif met on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Russia.

Apart from several initiatives to break the ice, the two sides agreed to revive the talks. Modi government should display sagacity in dealing with the latest subversive moves of Pakistan. While registering our strongest protest, efforts to revive the talks should continue. Otherwise, we would be playing into the hands of those who are hellbent on disturbing the peace process.