Musharraf’s new strategy of border transparency in Kashmir may break the ice
Babu Ghanta
May 21, 2005

Musharraf’s new proposal is a compromise and an innovative way to move peace forward with India.

According to media sources, Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf today proposed making the borders in Kashmir "irrelevant" as the panacea for the festering problem that has plagued South Asia for more than fifty years.

Soft borders, he said, would facilitate movement of people and goods across the Line of Control in Kashmir and with passage of time, contribute significantly in making the political line of divide "irrelevant".

Addressing the Concluding Session of a week-long Conference of South Asian Parliamentarians here on Evolving South Asian Fraternity, the General further proposed that the Valley be demilitarised so that there was less scope for human rights violations by the security forces.

"However, the question whether demilitarisation should precede or follow cessation of militancy in Kashmir was like the age-old egg and the chicken conundrum," he observed. The next major issue, he said, was of defining the territory one was referring to when talking about the Kashmir Problem. "What is Jammu and Kashmir? The territory needs to be defined. or should it be on the basis of region?"

The Pakistan President also expressed the need to address the issue of self-governance as desired by certain sections of the Kashmiri people.

He stressed the need for India and Pakistan to seize "the fleeting moment" in history offering the opportunity for rapprochement to create a better South Asia for the coming generations.

Terming the present tenure of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and that of his own Presidency as "the fleeting moment", the General said Pakistan's hand was available to clap with India's to usher in a new era of regional peace, harmony and tranquility. Speaking to the large gathering which included Members of Parliament from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, he cautioned that "the fleeting moment" in history came only once and if not grasped, "we''ll go back and stand at the same place from where we''d started".

Optimistic about the ongoing peace moves between India and Pakistan, the General underlined the importance of intentions being sincere. "Intentions ought to be sincere for resolution of issues, past history bears this out."

Describing both the Indian Premier and himself as "incidental leaders", he acknowledged the harmony existing between them but again cautioned there was "no guarantee that it will prevail".

Though not laying any time-schedule for the resolution of outstanding conflicts between the two neighbours, Gen Musharraf did mention that his present tenure as President was due to expire in 2007 thereby underlining the immediacy of speeding up the peace Process.

He said both countries had in the past tended to brush under the carpet the issues engaging both but with the passage of time, the scenario had changed obviating the tendency to be combative.

He pointed out that although it was "tough to reconcile and compromise" it was far better for "the larger and more powerful to be magnanimous" in an obvious hint to India. In this process, the media had a very important role to play in facilitating the movement towards reconciliation, he said in reply to several queries by Indian media persons.

Musharraf’s new strategy of border transparency in Kashmir may break the ice
Babu Ghanta
Musharraf’s new proposal is a compromise and an innovative way...
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