By Sikander Hayat
Pakistan has scored some major diplomatic wins with British Foreign Minister David stating categorically in New Delhi & Islamabad that contrary to Indian claims no part of Pakistani state was involved in Mumbai attacks. Indian media is calling it a diplomatic disaster for India which has after weeks of campaigning not been able to convince anyone in the international community that Pakistan is involved in atrocities.
First US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and now British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, has supported Islamabad's case that anyone from Pakistan found to be involved in the attacks could only be tried in Pakistan. This has led a reluctant Pranab Mukherjee to beat a retreat and instead seek "a fair trial" in Pakistan. Islamabad has already initiated the process to bring to justice any culprits found on is soil.
The remarks on Kashmir by British Foreign Secretary David Miliband are indicative of a realisation that seems to be gradually taking place in a terrorism-weary world, that it is necessary to resolve the Kashmir dispute to have peace in the region, which includes India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The argument built up by Mr Miliband is by no means insubstantial.
According to him, it would amount to playing in the hands of Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda, which has a global agenda and a worldwide reach, to link to it the various regional militant groups fighting for a local cause. "The reality is that the motivations and identities of terrorist groups are disparate." According to him, a resolution of the dispute over Kashmir would help deny extremists in the region one of their main calls to arms and allow Pakistan to focus more effectively on tackling the threat on its western borders.
This is not the first time that Pakistan has scored a diplomatic win as not so long ago, President-elect Barack Obama made it clear that Kashmir for him is an important issue that needs to be resolved urgently so that Pakistan can focus on the war against terror. If this approach is translated into action, the excitement over the election results in Jammu and Kashmir will be short-lived.
The next President of the United States has ideas on Jammu and Kashmir that should cause some concern to New Delhi.
In an interview broadcast on MSNBC, Obama suggested that his administration would encourage India to solve the Kashmir dispute with Pakistan, so that Islamabad can better cooperate with the United States on Afghanistan. Obama’s definitive thesis comes in three parts.
“The most important thing we’re going to have to do with respect to Afghanistan is actually deal with Pakistan. And we’ve got to work with the newly elected government there (Pakistan) in a coherent way that says, terrorism is now a threat to you. Extremism is a threat to you. We should — try to resolve the Kashmir crisis so that they (Pakistan) can stay focused not on India, but on the situation with those militants”. India entirely agrees with the first two elements but should strongly object to the third.
A few days before US President-elect Barack Obama is sworn into office, a glimpse of the new administration’s views on Kashmir was given by US ambassador designate to the UN Susan Rice who called Kashmir one of the "hot spots" of the world.
In a comparison that is not likely to bring any cheer to India, Ms Rice in a testimony before the Senate foreign relations committee likened Kashmir to conflict areas like the Balkans, Liberia, East Timor and Golan Heights.
"From the Balkans to East Timor, from Liberia to Kashmir, from Cyprus to the Golan Heights, the United Nations has, for more than six decades, played a critical role in forestalling renewed fighting, helping to resolve conflict and repair war-torn countries, providing humanitarian aid, organising elections, and responding to threats to international peace and security," Ms Rice was quoted as saying in her testimony.
In the past, Ms Rice, who was foreign policy adviser to Barack Obama during his election campaign, had referred to Kashmir as a recruiting ground for the Al Qaeda along with the world’s conflict zones like Chechnya and Iraq.
Keeping all this in mind it is clear that Pakistan has countered the Indian diplomatic offensive with great vigour and is now on the offensive itself with the declaration that a 10 day inquiry will be conducted and if anyone is found to be involved in the incident in Mumbai, he will be put on trial in Pakistan and not handed over to India. This ought to send a strong message to Indian media and Indian regime alike that India is not United States and it is not even a position to get few people out of Pakistan, let alone wage a war and win it.
Pakistan has scored some major diplomatic wins with British Foreign Minister David stating categorically in New Delhi & Islamabad that contrary to Indian claims no part of Pakistani state was involved in Mumbai attacks. Indian media is calling it a diplomatic disaster for India which has after weeks of campaigning not been able to convince anyone in the international community that Pakistan is involved in atrocities.
First US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and now British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, has supported Islamabad's case that anyone from Pakistan found to be involved in the attacks could only be tried in Pakistan. This has led a reluctant Pranab Mukherjee to beat a retreat and instead seek "a fair trial" in Pakistan. Islamabad has already initiated the process to bring to justice any culprits found on is soil.
The remarks on Kashmir by British Foreign Secretary David Miliband are indicative of a realisation that seems to be gradually taking place in a terrorism-weary world, that it is necessary to resolve the Kashmir dispute to have peace in the region, which includes India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The argument built up by Mr Miliband is by no means insubstantial.
According to him, it would amount to playing in the hands of Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda, which has a global agenda and a worldwide reach, to link to it the various regional militant groups fighting for a local cause. "The reality is that the motivations and identities of terrorist groups are disparate." According to him, a resolution of the dispute over Kashmir would help deny extremists in the region one of their main calls to arms and allow Pakistan to focus more effectively on tackling the threat on its western borders.
This is not the first time that Pakistan has scored a diplomatic win as not so long ago, President-elect Barack Obama made it clear that Kashmir for him is an important issue that needs to be resolved urgently so that Pakistan can focus on the war against terror. If this approach is translated into action, the excitement over the election results in Jammu and Kashmir will be short-lived.
The next President of the United States has ideas on Jammu and Kashmir that should cause some concern to New Delhi.
In an interview broadcast on MSNBC, Obama suggested that his administration would encourage India to solve the Kashmir dispute with Pakistan, so that Islamabad can better cooperate with the United States on Afghanistan. Obama’s definitive thesis comes in three parts.
“The most important thing we’re going to have to do with respect to Afghanistan is actually deal with Pakistan. And we’ve got to work with the newly elected government there (Pakistan) in a coherent way that says, terrorism is now a threat to you. Extremism is a threat to you. We should — try to resolve the Kashmir crisis so that they (Pakistan) can stay focused not on India, but on the situation with those militants”. India entirely agrees with the first two elements but should strongly object to the third.
A few days before US President-elect Barack Obama is sworn into office, a glimpse of the new administration’s views on Kashmir was given by US ambassador designate to the UN Susan Rice who called Kashmir one of the "hot spots" of the world.
In a comparison that is not likely to bring any cheer to India, Ms Rice in a testimony before the Senate foreign relations committee likened Kashmir to conflict areas like the Balkans, Liberia, East Timor and Golan Heights.
"From the Balkans to East Timor, from Liberia to Kashmir, from Cyprus to the Golan Heights, the United Nations has, for more than six decades, played a critical role in forestalling renewed fighting, helping to resolve conflict and repair war-torn countries, providing humanitarian aid, organising elections, and responding to threats to international peace and security," Ms Rice was quoted as saying in her testimony.
In the past, Ms Rice, who was foreign policy adviser to Barack Obama during his election campaign, had referred to Kashmir as a recruiting ground for the Al Qaeda along with the world’s conflict zones like Chechnya and Iraq.
Keeping all this in mind it is clear that Pakistan has countered the Indian diplomatic offensive with great vigour and is now on the offensive itself with the declaration that a 10 day inquiry will be conducted and if anyone is found to be involved in the incident in Mumbai, he will be put on trial in Pakistan and not handed over to India. This ought to send a strong message to Indian media and Indian regime alike that India is not United States and it is not even a position to get few people out of Pakistan, let alone wage a war and win it.
hello
ReplyDeleteCan you please name those Indian Media who says that Rice remarks was a diplomatic disaster. Also please dont forget it was your own blog which denied the any links of Pakistani in Mumbai attacks. Pakistan government's action to initiate inquiry based on the credible proof's provided by India is, according to me, the biggest diplomatic win India can ever achieve.
I simply dont understand why you always try to Indicate that India will drive pakistan into war. India is not interested in war with pakistan.
Hi do not wish to indulge in dialogue with Indian Guest presuming from the comment .Just wanted to say it was India which sent war planes to Lahore and Azad Kashmir and straight after Bombay Blasts ,people were goining hysterical in India ,Bomb PAksitan!!.
ReplyDeleteSikander wanted to congratulate you good blog.Keep it up.
wow another bunch of delussionary paki's. Poor India, that it has to live in a neighborhood of lunatics and liars.
ReplyDeletei think must look in his own back yard for terrorists,bal thakery ans shiv sina are never less than bin laden .
ReplyDeleteindia
ReplyDeletethis blog is so amazing. what world are you living in sir? Its becoming more and more obvious that some entities of pakistan's administration are not under the control of the heads of states and which shares values with the terrorist. The ISI have historically when it comes to India always been jealous of India's democracy and tried to undermine it every chance they got. GET THE FACTS RIGHT OR YOU'LL BE CONSIDERED A JOKE.
ReplyDeleteyaseen,
ReplyDeleteBal thakrey is a hindu fanatic not a terrorist.
Laden is a fanatic AND a terrorist.
Condi r clinton said and ur so pleased.and refering it as a diplomatic victory.since last 60 yr.these people using pakistan as a weapone some time against USSR and now taliban.meanwhile rice refer POKashmir as taliban recruiting ground.not J&K
ReplyDeletewow read this, click link below:or copy paste in your browser
ReplyDeletehttp://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=11584
Yaseen, nobody in India gives a damn about bal thackerey or shiv sena. They are considered as a bunch of " Politicians" and nothing else. We are talking here about terrorism and state sponsored terrorism and who can beat Paki's in that game. You guys happy about some of these diplomatic statements!!!. hmm, when will you guys ever start thinking as an independent nation and not see through these diplomatic games played by the western world. God bless you guys.
ReplyDelete