Kashmir never part of India: Qureshi

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Thursday said as per the fundamental principles of the partition of Indian subcontinent, Kashmir could not be a part of India, and would God willing one day would be part of Pakistan.

Speaking here at a seminar at the National Press Club, the minister said there might be polarisation but there had been and would remain national consensus on the issue of Kashmir. The minister contended that the principles on the basis of which, Hindustan was partitioned that the Muslim majority population/areas in terms of contiguity, would be part of Pakistan. “With that spirit, Kashmir should have been a part of Pakistan… and your (Kashmiri leadership) stance that Kashmir would become a part of Pakistan, God willing and His blessings and we all shall see it would be given practical shape,” he emphasised.

“And until and unless this issue is not taken to its logical conclusion, tension is a natural phenomenon in the region, as the issue will continue to come around one way or the other,” he said.

He said that the part of Kashmir, which we called Occupied Kashmir, was annexed to India when the Hindu maharaja was its ruler: what was his role in it, needed not be repeated, as everybody knew about it very well.

Qureshi made it clear that, “even if the world community became ignorant to it, we will have to remind them that there had been three wars on this issue and so many people spilled their blood in this movement and it could not go wasted. He said Pakistan wanted to live with India as a good neighbour and certainly as a good neighbour but there was a wall in between, a fundamental issue and that is the Kashmir issue. The minister pointed out that if the conditions there (in Occupied Kashmir), as an impression was given that the circumstances there were not as such and it was a way of a few Kashmiri politicians, who just wanted to remain politically alive. But then, he continued, a question would arise, then what was the need for deployment of 0.7 million Indian forces in occupied Kashmir and this appeared to be an illogical thing? “If there is no issue there, then withdraw your forces and then why need to have the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and the Public Safety Act and the basis of which, barbarism and coercion was being unleashed there and human rights being abused with impunity. There is no need for all this then, if there is no issue. There should be governance under normal laws like in other areas. There is no need for special laws,” he noted.

Qureshi maintained that if India believed its stance was firm, then why a need was felt for amending the Article 35-A and if there was no issue, thenwhy had India given its special status in its Constitution. He added if all these things were viewed, then these negated the Indian point of view on Kashmir.

He reminded India that with the passage of time, there had been change in their stance and referred to a letter Lord Mount Batten had written to Maharaja on October 27, 1947 and if this letter was gone through, the issue would get highlighted and was acknowledged at that time. Then, he talked about a letter then Indian former premier Jawahir Lal Nehru had written to prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan in November, conceding that Kashmir was an issue and that it should be resolved and what should be the solution and who would decide?

“Obviously, the Kashmiris will decide and what would be the methodology, it was also quite obvious. Surely, there will be a democratic way, a referendum, plebiscite. All these things are already decided. There is an element that raises question on legal aspects of the issue. I had seen a trend that a line was toed putting aside the UN resolutions. To me, this was a very dangerous line,” he maintained. Who so, he pointed out, because it was a compromise on the legal standing and basic stance of Kashmiris.

Qureshi noted that the UN resolution of April 21, 1948 was quite obvious and then of August 03, 1948 and of June 05, 1949. All these resolutions reiterated the same stance and the issue of Kashmir was still on the UN agenda.

The minister said that they celebrated the foundation day of the United Nations and while its contribution to peace-keeping, fighting poverty and role in other matters was acknowledged, he said that Kashmir issue was still unresolved and on its agenda despite passage of seven decades and that it might be overlooked, but it was a reality, it could not be finished, as a lot of blood was shed and women sacrificed their honour for it.

He said Pakistan could never be oblivious to the Kashmir issue. “My blood does not allow me to give up this issue. My conscience does not allow me,” he remarked. The foreign minister also appreciated the role of former Jamaat-e-Islami leader late Qazi Hussain Ahmed and said there was no difference of opinion in Pakistan on Kashmir issue. He said the demand of the Kashmiri people was always considered right. He said though war was not a solution to this issue but even then it caused massive bloodshed.

He reiterated the nation was united on this matter, above any political difference. Kashmir was cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy. The minister said at the recent UN Assembly session, the Kashmir issue and Pakistan’s stance thereon was effectively presented and moreover there an effective session at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group on Kashmir. Foreign ministers of Turkey and Azerbaijan also had an effective stance on this issue.