True to my hunch, the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell has set off for home after yet another sortie to the South Asian region é by and large – without a ‘result-oriented’ upshot, he had envisioned prior to touching the tarmacs of New Delhi and Islamabad é most explicitly – in the wake of snags due to despot Indian posture that has é by now é sent abode every stalwart of the influential world with a torment visage.
While Powell have had ‘in-depth negotiations’ with President, General Pervez Musharraf during his a day-long stay in Pakistan Sunday, each pragmatic mind had guessed an elfin realization of his mission for peace in the region é before his visit to India a day earlier – in the light of a report, circulated by the Online news agency that the Indian Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee ‘ will not be meeting Powell’ who was on a specific voyage to de-escalate the perilous scenario, surfaced due to an eyeball-to-eyeball standoff by the Armed Forces of the two nuke-neighbours, overcastting the global horizons with a catastrophic peril. Such a course denoted that India ‘is still arrogant for a dialogue with Pakistan to sort out issues é with the Kashmir dispute atop – to avert a potential skirmish, which é if begins é shall trek beyond oceanic.
Although ‘a break-through’ was being dreamed of by some diplomatic spheres, which was ought to be inferred with factual perceptions. Prima facie, it seemed to be ‘a wishful notion’ in the wake of the ferocious belligerence of the New Delhi warlords, who are deteriorating the situation through one ploy or the other. So it ensued in the same fashion.
On the other hand, Pakistan’s response has always been measured by self-regulating observers as ‘ supportive, encouraging , positive and upright’ é most overtly é due to the globally-acknowledged reality that Islamabad has always opted for the resumption of a meaningful dialogue with New Delhi to solve the longed issues é with the core Kashmir dispute atop – anytime, anywhere and at any level ‘ in the best interest of a billion-plus populace and to ensure a stable peace in the South Asian region.
To attain this logical intent, it is indispensable that India should é at the outset é pull its troops, amassed – without any rationale – from the borders and the LoC in Kashmir and put them onto the peacetime locations. It has to be an instantaneous step, to be followed by the initiation of a momentous discourse. India shall have to eschew groundless pretexts, which have been a key font of a horrendous state of affairs. New Delhi’s antagonistic mind-set has already made the recent visit of the British Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw – who came to this region with a joint memo from almost 492 British MPs é a failure, beneath the frolicsome pretext of ‘cross border terrorism’ which, the entire pragmatic world knows does not exist at all. It is apparent from the fact that amid! st the deployment of almost point seven million armed troops in the India-held Kashmir, even an ante can not cross over the LoC what to talk of stepping into the alluring Himalayan state of human specie. No doubt the gallant people in IHK are engaged in an indigenous scuffle to seek their right of self-determination, in line with the United Nations resolutions, adopted unanimously 54-years ago.
This é through no yardstick é can be termed as ‘terrorism’ because it is a fight against usurpers, invaders and aggressors who opened a ‘Pandora’s box’ for the guiltless people of the Jammu and Kashmir state through the hideous act of armed infringement, neglecting the aspirations of Kashmiris who had resolved to link their destiny with Pakistan the historic Srinagar declaration on July the 19th in 1947 with one-voice. !
One could simply hope that Colin Powell’s visit may yield some tangible results ‘if India accepts the bona fide plea for a dialogue instead of opting for the wicked war hysteria.’ The only feasible mode for the accomplishment of Powell’s-voyage-for peace could have been to make India realize even to the extent of coercing it to come to table of talks, as has been é time and again é truthfully projected by Pakistan to evaporate the perilous course. Mr. Powell can – beyond doubt -do so, especially in the light of a ground-reality that the United States has gained a distinctive and peculiar status after Nine -Eleven whereby it can put the Vajpayee plus Advani-led extremist-cum-terrorist India onto a astute path by taking sou moto cognizance of the state terrorism, let loose by Indians on the unaided people of IHK as well as their malicious blitz towards the minorities é most noticeably the Muslims, the Christians , the Sikhs and the low-cast Hindus – on their own soil, very well insight to the peace-loving and realistic world. Unless the Indian hostile mine-set is altered, every exertion for peace in South Asia shall result into nothing except a nightmare for the humanity all around. May be Powell makes another trip to South Asia with all such facets in mind to make his next mission a ‘majestic triumph?’
The French Foreign Minister, Dominique de Villepin is also expected to visit next week in a swing to ease tension in the region. This will be the first trip to South Asia by De Villepin, since taking the reins at Quai d’Orsay, the venue of the French foreign ministry. The frequent trips by ‘the men who matter ‘in the world today é especially the United States, with whom Pakistan has elite ties – validate the veracity that the comity of nations is – likewise – fretful over the present settings in South Asia. Hence it is mandatory for them to take rock-hard steps to ward off a swelling brawl. None shall raise eye-brows even if they inflict drastic sanctions against India, now fully exposed for its arrogance, narcissism and hostilities. Unless this retort is pursued, peace in the region é in meticulous and around the globe in all-encompassing é shall stay nightmarish with awful risks, the entire onus of which shall rest with India alone.
The author is a noted journalist, political analyst and ex-Director News Pakistan TV.
