Arun Joshi
India will have to be watchful about Pakistan’s maneuverings on Kashmir as it is preparing to assume its non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council from January 2025. Frustrated ever its grand isolation in August 2019 when world greeted with deafening silence the abrogation of Article 370 by India, scrapping special status of Jammu and Kashmir and integrated the state fully into the country, Pakistan is now seeking to take revenge of sorts, by making a last ditch effort to hold a discussion on Kashmir issue.
Months before it is to take over its seat in the United Nations Security Council, Pakistan has started making preparations to bring Kashmir issue for discussion at the international body. It knows that the discussion on the current state of Jammu and Kashmir that it views from a prism of 1947-1948 and has not reconciled to the return of peace post August 5, 2019 decisions of ending its special status, would not alter anything but it wants to create a perception in the world that India’s actions were not legitimate vis—a-vis J&K.
Pakistan had expected that the world, including western countries, particularly the US and Islamic countries in OIC bloc, would stand with its position on Kashmir that its boundaries and the status cannot be changed unilaterally. This diplomatic and political defeat made to reel under an ever-deepening sense of helplessness. It resorted to blow hot and cold over the attitude of the world, in the process it annoyed among others Saudi Arabia, the leading light of OIC and also the Islamic world .
The retired diplomats and others have started reminding the political and military establishment that Pakistan has a grand opportunity to retrieve its position on Kashmir . For them “Kashmir” is the Indian part of Jammu and Kashmir. They feel that their narrative on Kashmir being a “disputed territory”, needed a permanent solution, which they claim can come about only if the UNSC resolutions on Kashmir are implemented – that is giving choice to the people of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir of opting for the country of their future. The UN resolutions have become obsolete as more than 74 years have passed and the talk of these resolutions has remained confined in the political and military corridors of Pakistan , occasionally shared by its all-weather friend China .
Why should India be vigilant about Pakistan’s proposed role in the UNSC from January 2025, the reasons are not far to seek . First, Pakistan is keen to show to the world that it has not forgotten Kashmir despite the “unilateral action of India” in abrogating the special status of J&K, and doing away with its flag and the constitution. It is also angry over the abrogation of Article 35 A of the Indian constitution which granted special privileges and rights to the people of J&K in owning the immovable property , securing jobs and scholarships .
For Islamabad- Rawalpindi, the August 5, 2019 decisions of the Government of India, duly approved by the country’s parliament, sounded like death knell. It was shown its place that it has no locus standi on Kashmir. India had bifurcated the state into two union territories of Ladakh , and J&K, and also told both Pakistan and China that they would have to vacate the Jammu and Kashmir’s illegally occupied territories and hand these over to India . Delhi has based its thesis on the legal and the constitutional accession of J&K to India that was signed by last Dogra ruler of the state Maharaja Hari Singh on October 26, 1947. Many at times, it was pointed out by the detractors and anti-India countries that thought the state had acceded to the country but it had not merged with India. August 5, 2019 accomplished that as well.
Pakistan is banking upon the synergy between the current political government led by PML-N’s Shehbaz Sharif and army led by Gen. Asim Munir. They share an aggressive stand on Kashmir. In his opening speech on getting elected Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif had called for “National Assembly passing a resolution to ask the UN to implement its resolutions on Kashmir.” And Gen. Asim Munir , time and again during his visits to Line of Control that divides Jammu and Kashmir between India on Pakistan , , demanded that the issue should be resolved in the spirt of UN resolutions .
Second, Pakistan is trying to employ four other Islamic countries at the UNSC- Guyana, Algeria, Somalia and Sierra Leone- to support its stand on Kashmir. It is looking at the window of opportunity when Pakistan would sit on the seat as President of the UNSC, to have discussion on Kashmir.
But by the time, Pakistan would assume the membership of the UNSC next year, hopefully J&K will be having an elected Assembly and government. That will help puncture Pakistan’s attempts to have a discussion on Kashmir. And if by that time statehood is retorted to J&K, Pakistan will be left with nothing to discuss on Kashmir. But that doesn’t mean that India should be complacent about Pakistan’s mischievous plans to embarrass India at the international forum. Pakistan has started its home work on this. That should not be allowed to escape Indian vigil.
Disclaimer: This is the personal opinion of the author. The views expressed in this write-up have nothing to do with www.prameyanews.com.
