After being closely involved and bearing heavy social and economic cost of the Kashmir cause, Pakistan cannot abandon its position on the core issue. However, it should continue its efforts to forge close diplomatic and trade ties with India to resolve all the outstanding issues between the two countries amicably, including the core issue of Kashmir.
This was the consensus developed by eminent diplomats and analysts, while reviewing the status of the ongoing Pakistan-India composite dialogue during a roundtable discussion, organised by International Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IIPCR), held on Monday.
Responding to the assertion of Arif Noorani that Pakistan should compromise on its present stand on Kashmir for economic and social considerations, Birjees Ahmed Khan, a former diplomat, observed that the country could not retreat from its principled stand on Kashmir, where 70, 000 Muslims had rendered their lives sacrificed. " We can not lay our hands down and let India do whatever it wants", he remarked.
Agha Masood, a columnist endorsed Birjees's point of view that Pakistan could not surrender on Kashmir issue as it has great importance attached to it. However, he called for adopting more realistic policies in the light of changing international scenario, and was of the view that instead of joining either Pakistan or India Kashmiris want complete independence as a fully autonomous separate state.
Shamim Akhtar, an academician, was also of the view that an independent Kashmir could be one the options to be looked at, for resolution of Kashmir issue.
Diplomat Mansoor Alam presented his paper on ongoing Pakistan-India composite dialogue and observed that though the process had made a considerable progress in bringing about a conducive environment between the two countries, real success will come with the amicable resolution of core issue of Kashmir.
He stressed the need of normalisation of relations between the two countries for dealing with the common problems like poverty, illiteracy, disease, increasing population etc and complying regional and international trade agreements like Safta and WTO.
Mansoor remarked that neither Pakistan could force India to war, nor India could kill the aspirations of Kashmiris for freedom, so logic should persuade both parties to resolve Kashmir issue amicably for a durable peace in the region.
Mehdi Masood also emphasised the significance of friendly relations between the to neighbouring countries for their social and economic development and declared peace indispensable for the prosperity of the region.
However, he expressed his fear that all the goodwill gestures being reciprocated by India in ongoing CBMs for the normalisation of relations was based on an assumption that Pakistan had subconsciously agreed upon to compromise on its stand on Kashmir and as soon as they became aware of Pakistan's intention, they might back out of the dialogue process.
IIPCR honorary chairman and former information Minister, Javed Jabbar was of the view that it was the long, untiring diplomatic efforts of Pakistan that had compelled India to concede that the Kashmir issue should be resolved to the satisfaction of the both countries.
Earlier, Javed Jabbar gave an introduction of IIPCR and highlighted the objectives of its establishment.
Besides many diplomats, scholars and analysts, Rector National University of Science and Technology, Lt General Syed Shujaat Hussain (Retd) also spoke on the occasion.