On Thursday, speaking about India’s longstanding conflict with Pakistan at a weekly press briefing, Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that any resolution of the issue would require Pakistan to abandon its support for terrorism. He said, “Our position is well known. India desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility, and violence. The onus is on Pakistan for creating such an environment.” Moreover, he reiterated that no bilateral agreements or dialogues between the two countries can be achieved unless these conditions are fulfilled by Pakistan.
Soon after Srivastava’s statement, Pakistani Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri responded saying, “The onus is on India to create enabling environment for meaningful engagement.” He added, “Pakistan has always believed in peaceful settlement of all issues, including the core issue of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. It is India that has vitiated the environment with its illegal, inhuman and unilateral actions of 5th August 2019.”
This latest sequence of comments comes in response to Pakistani Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s statement on Wednesday, wherein he called for a peaceful resolution to the Jammu and Kashmir conflict. Bajwa said, “Pakistan and India must resolve the longstanding issue of Jammu and Kashmir in a dignified and peaceful manner as per the aspirations of people of Jammu and Kashmir and bring this human tragedy to its logical conclusion.” He further added, “We stand firmly committed to the ideal of mutual respect and peaceful co-existence. It is time to extend a hand of peace in all directions.”
Meanwhile, on February 4, which was celebrated as Kashmir Solidarity Day, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi addressed a gathering at the President’s Secretariat. During his speech, he said, “Today, India stands fully exposed before the international community for usurping the fundamental freedoms of the Kashmiri people. India’s human rights violations have removed the façade of it being a so-called ‘democracy’.” Consequently, he urged the international community to “hold India accountable” and call upon India to bring an end to its human rights violations in Kashmir.
On the same day, the topic of Kashmir was once again brought up by the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir, Shehryar Khan Afridi, at a seminar on “Emerging Dynamic of Kashmir Issue: Predicament and Prospects.” According to a statement by the Pakistani Ministry of Information Broadcasting, National History, and Literary Heritage, Afridi said that the Pakistani Parliament “would act as new centre to push Kashmir diplomacy.” He added that his committee was further collaborating with several bodies “to ensure level playing field to Pakistani and Kashmiri activists on digital platforms.” He also applauded the Kashmiri people’s “resolve for freedom from Indian subjugation despite spending decades in jails and offering sacrifices.” Moreover, he also accused India of systematically attacking Kashmiri culture and executing its “genocide plan”.
General Bajwa’s comments have been viewed as a change of rhetoric from the country’s Army Chief, who has not spoken of peace between the two sides since the abrogation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. In the unlikely even that Pakistan abides by the sentiments of General Bajwa’s comments, this could be a significant turning point for the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan. His statement is particularly relevant given the high level of influence that the Pakistani Army holds over the country’s authorities and politicians. However, these comments could be a consequence of the widespread criticism being targeted towards Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and the Army Chief from the country’s opposition, which has formed an alliance with the aim of ousting Khan.
Moreover, these statements by Pakistan come in the run-up to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) meeting, where it will need to show its commitment to curbing terrorist activities on its territories, along with showing its dedication towards peace in the region.
Following Bajwa’s comments, a counter-terrorism official in New Delhi said, “We will need to track if this is a one-off comment or there are other indicators of a possible change as well.” Hence, with the two sides’ relationship tainted with mistrust for decades now, it will take more than this for their relationship to take a positive turn. Furthermore, the accusatory tones adopted by Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, and Shehryar Khan Afridi are unlikely to be taken well by the Indian side, further deterring them from entering into a diplomatic conversation with Pakistan.
India Says Onus on Pakistan for Peaceful Resolution of Kashmir Conflict
Following the Pakistani Army Chief’s comments calling for a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir conflict, India responded by saying that the onus for this continues to lie with Pakistan.
February 5, 2021
SOURCE: MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA