Sardar Muhammed Abdul Qayyum Khan says jihadis caused damage to Kashmir cause

Sardar Qayyum says jihadis caused damage to Kashmir cause

Date: Thu, 12 May 2005 23:14:09 +0100

Subject: Qayyum says jihadis caused dmage to Kashmir cause

By Mohammad Shehzad in Islamabad

Sardar Muhammed Abdul Qayyum Khan is 81—older than the bitterest blood feud between India and Pakistan, and an inherent part of it. In 1947, he was part of the Pathan invasion that split the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir under Maharaja Hari Singh into two. After the creation of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, or Azad [Liberated] Kashmir as he calls it, Khan has been a prominent political figure there—four times president, prime minister once, and leader of the Opposition.

Last year, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf handpicked him to chair the 22-member National Kashmir Committee, which spearheads Islamabad’s efforts for a solution to the Kashmir trouble. In this capacity, Khan is also believed to be leading his country’s Track Two diplomacy with New Delhi.

Mohammad Shehzad of Kashmir Images interviewed Khan last week in the wake of recent India-Pak developments at his residence in Rawalpindi.

Excerpts:

How do you view the current progress on India-Pak relations?

The progress is positive and leading towards a solution. But this solution might not be permanent. If not sustainable, it will definitely be of interim nature.

What is your vision of a permanent or interim solution?

I don’t have a solution in mind. I only have a few interim initiatives in mind:

1. Ceasefire from both sides

2. Free and unrestricted movement across the border

3. Trade between the two countries with all sincerity

4. Drastic reduction in the unlimited powers that the Indian government has given its military in Kashmir

5. Release of the political prisoners

6. Withdrawal of the Indian troops from the population

7. Opportunities for the Kashmiri leadership on the both sides to meet each other and discuss the future of Kashmir

The word ‘Kashmiri leadership’ is very disputed. Who will determine the ‘Kashmiri leadership?’ What it really is?

Everybody knows who is the Kashmiri leadership. Those who are consulted on the issue of Kashmir are the Kashmiri leadership. Yes, I agree that the Kashmiri leadership is divided. I recognize the both factions of All Parties Huriyat Conference [APHC] as Kashmiri leadership. The jihadi outfits too are part of the Kashmiri leadership. You cannot ignore such citizens of the state that are involved in the militancy.

What is the problem of the Kashmiris? Can’t they be happy with equal rights?

The problem of the Kashmiris is the same that was the problem of the entire Muslim population of the undivided India. The only difference is, the rest of the population of the subcontinent had its problem resolved, while the problems of the Kashmris were never resolved. The Kashmiris don’t enjoy the rights that are enjoyed by the other citizens of India.

Kashmiris want to make their own decisions.

Has not Pakistan lost its case on Kashmir? The international community does not take our stance on Kashmir seriously.

There was a time when the international community would strongly recognize and support our stance on Kashmir. We don’t enjoy the same level of support but the positive thing is the international community has started recognizing the fact that Kashmir is a troubled territory where the Kashmiris are suffering. So, the Kashmiris’ stance is being recognized but from a different perspective.

Has not militancy damaged the Kashmir cause?

The militancy has benefited the Kashmir cause. It had become almost dead. The militancy has given it a new life. It has made it a volcano.

The political movement did not have much importance. Although, the solution to this issue is political but the militancy will not end as long as a clear roadmap is not provided to this issue. And the roadmap is the ‘interim initiatives’ that I have just described.

What is the future of jihad now?

Jihad has become a business now. In fact, the worst damage to the Kashmir cause has been caused by the jihadis. They have maligned the jihad as well as the true mujahideen. Jihad has no future now. It is over. Pakistan has put a lid on the jihadis but you have to see that the freedom struggle is indigenous. Pakistan just took advantage of this by providing moral and diplomatic support.

But the former ISI Chief Hameed Gul openly says that Pakistan had a jihadi policy…

There is no dearth of ‘Sheikh Chillis’ [a comic character in the Urdu fiction] in Pakistan. Pakistan had no jihadi policy. The freedom struggle was indigenous and it got some support from the outside. But the government of Pakistan did not have any jihadi policy. I am not talking about a section of the establishment.

Don’t you think that Kashmir is a stalemate and there could be no solution other than converting the Line of Control [LoC] into the international border?

Granting LoC the status of international border will not stop the infiltration. There are still some jihadis who would jump over the 16 feet fence and fight with 0.8 million Indian army. Kashmir is a disputed territory and the world is recognizing that. If Kashmir is not resolved soon, the world could witness situation far worst than the Kargil. Both the countries are the nuclear power and a nuclear war between India and Pakistan cannot be completely ruled out. So, a solution beyond converting the LoC into international border is indispensable. At the moment, the best solution is the ‘interim-

initiatives.’

Don’t you think the Indian government is too tolerant towards the Kashmiri leadership than ours? Syed Ali Shah Geelani openly abuses India and shows his loyalty with Pakistan. If a Pakistani Kashmiri would do vice versa, he won’t survive…

You are right. Because, there is too much at stake in Pakistan. Whereas, there is nothing at stake in India