Yes, But What About Kashmir?

'Tit for tat', 'game of one-upmanship', 'diplomatic chess', 'farce in the name of foreign policy', 'stingin the tail' ...these were some of the phrases that rolled off the commentators' tongues, as after a full weekof India's surprise 12-point peace proposals and many a flip-flop and verbal gymnastics by variousspokespersons of the Pakistani establishment - and last minute postponements - Pakistan finally fielded itssuave Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar - many say because of not so gentle nudging from Colin Powell yesterday -to come up with its official response and counter proposals. 

In a nut-shell, it was the same song, same verse:yes, but what about Kashmir?

And what he had to say does not really come as a surprise. Since the ball was in the Pakistan court - andhad been for over a week - with the Prime Minister adding for good measure today that Pakistan could take moretime in coming up with its response - it was important for Pakistan not to appear to be the bad guy andturn down any of the Indian proposals. 

So it did what seemed most obvious: while broadly accepting most of theIndian proposals, it added its own caveats and riders, as well as announced, in a clear move to try andembarrass New Delhi, a "three-point proposal" exclusively for people of "Kashmir" (itwould be interesting to know, though, if any of the Jammu or Ladakhi residents are eligible or not, or whatthe redressal mechanism for those in the Northern Areas is):

• Pakistan will offer 100 scholarship for Kashmiri students to study in professional institutions atgraduate and post-graduate level
  
  
• Pakistan would also offer treatment for disabled Kashmiris and would assist and help "widows andvictims of rape, affected by the various operations launched by security agencies."
  
  
• Pakistan would like International right groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch to getaccess to deserving Kashmiris to avail the facilities offered by Islamabad.
  

And then he added for good measure: "We hope India will allow the Kashmiris to accept the offer we have made".Ironically, the Pakistani offer came on a day when the chief minister of J&K, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed hadimplored Pakistan: "For God's sake stop bloodshed in Jammu and Kashmir and respond positively to India'scomprehensive peace initiative". Mufti had added, "Not only the people of Kashmir, even the people ofPakistan are keen to have lasting peace in the region by improving ties with India."

On the specificsof the Indian proposals, Khokhar said, "We have carefully studied the Indian proposals and havedecided to respond positively. We hope that India would also respond positively to Pakistani proposals."He also stressed that Islamabad wanted a political dialogue on Kashmir. He said theconfidence building measures initiated by India would become meaningless if the "core issue of Kashmirissue is not resolved".

A detailed Pakistani response to the Indian proposals is available in the sidestory, Point- Counterpoint but broadly, Pakistan lived up to the fears expressed by experts like Stephen Cohen bycoming up with ridiculous riders to some of the Indian proposals. 

The most eagerly awaited was thePakistani response to the proposed Muzafarrabad-Srinagar bus service by India, to which Pakistan responded thatit would have to be monitored by UN observers since it is a "disputed area."

Asked whether Pakistan was effectively scuttling the longstanding demand of the Kashmiris to travel on bothsides by asking for UN supervision, Khokhar denied it was doing so. "We are not scuttling it. We areserious," he said adding that if India was serious they should accept it. Moreover, he said the UN rolewould ensure that only genuine people travelled in the bus.

Defence Minister George Fernandes has already dismissed the Pakistani rider: "What is the U.N going to do on the roads which are meant for the common people. What have they (U.N) got to do there. It is meaningless."

Other proposals where it has imposed conditions include:

• Samjhauta Express across the Wagah border to be restarted before expanding Delhi-Lahore bus service. Lahore-Amritsarbus service proposed
  
  
• Visa camps could be set up but only after India agrees to increase the size of the diplomatic mission.
  
  
• Mumbai-Karachi ferry service: put on the back-burner, effectively scuttled

On the positive side, Pakistan has accepted without pre-conditions the resumption of sporting ties,maritime patrolling and allowing senior citizens to cross at Wagah on foot and agreed to hold technical leveltalks with India on the resumption of air links between the two countries on December 1 and 2.

It is significant that while making his proposals, the Indian External Affairs Ministerhad ended by adding, "Our war against terrorism, especially cross-border terrorism, will continue. Therewill be no let up in dealing with terrorists who dare to infiltrate into India."

On steps being taken by Pakistan to stop cross-border infiltration into India, he said no country couldseal its border a hundred per cent. "Pakistan has done its utmost. The ball is in India's court.Activities they are talking about for not talking to India were going on even before 9/11. He said, unlikeIndia, Pakistan was not against third party mediation but said that Pakistani response had not been made inconsultation with any friendly country, in a clear allusion to the recent calls from Colin Powell.

Asked to comment on the statement of Defence Minister George Fernandes that the 12 point package beingoffered to Pakistan was one of the last efforts to road to peace, he said "those who threaten war need toget their heads examined. We do not want to talk in terms of war".

Accusing India of scoring points in the international community byproposing talks on "non issues" like CBMs and avoiding talks on "core issue" of Kashmir,Khokhar added, "The time has come for the two countries to indulge in serious negotiations," Khokharsaid, adding, "We are not desperate for talks. We are clear in our mind. We want to improve our relationswith India , but this is going to be on the basis of dignity and honour".

It is significant that most of the Indo-Pak watchers had warned against just such a response from Pakistan. Stephen Cohen, noted U S foreign policy analyst had cautioned, "If the proposals are implemented, Indo-Pak relations will then be taken to a level which was prevalent in the 1950s when Kashmir was not as big a problem as it is today.'' But then Cohen had also warned, ''With India having put forward its set of proposals, I now expect Pakistan to come up with some of its own which India will find reasons to turn down. This will go on."

And so it seems it will.