'Musharraf readying Pak. for flexibility on Kashmir issue'

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, DEC. 25. A Pakistani-born US citizen engaged in mediation on the Kashmir dispute, Mr. Mansoor Ijaz, says that the Pakistan Chief Executive, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, is preparing the country to show ``maximum flexibility'' for resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

In an interview to the Pakistani daily, The News, in Dubai, Mr. Ijaz has said that a pragmatic Gen. Musharraf cannot be expected to insist on U.N. plebiscite resolutions as the best mechanism to resolve the Kashmir problem.

Spelling out the blueprint for peace in Kashmir, Mr. Ijaz, who was recently in Delhi to interact with all those matter, envisages a summit meeting between the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, and Gen. Musharraf some time in March that will kickstart the dialogue between the two countries.

Mr. Ijaz, who is considered close to the U.S. President, Mr. Bill Clinton, has said given the reactions in Kashmir to the `jehadi' (militant) movement, Islamabad does not need another embarrassment of the Kashmiri people voting against accession to Pakistan.

He says Delhi is fully aware that it cannot maintain Kashmir as an `integral part of its territory'. ``Western theorists and interested third parties who have proposed elaborate balkanisation schemes fail to understand the delicate fabric that holds Kashmir together as a people with a unique genetic similarity. These divide and conquer proposals simply do not work even if supported by the U.S. State Department''.

Mr. Ijaz says the only viable option is third alternative that allows Kashmiris pre-determined right to self- rule at some date in the future, with the option of going to both Islamabad and Delhi to win them over in an interim period of five years. As per the blue print spelt out by Mr. Ijaz, the summit meeting between Mr. Vajpayee and Gen. Musharraf would simultaneously be followed by withdrawal of Indian troops from Kashmir.

He says that the process of empowering both civilian and militant Kashmiri voices remains the central objective of the mediation efforts because a strong Kashmir provides Pakistan and India with face-saving exit strategies.

In mid-January, political and military leaders will meet in Islamabad. The objective of the mid-January meeting is to set a common political agenda for talks with New Delhi and to take Gen. Musharraf into confidence on the merits and rationale for their decision to talk to Delhi. ``Once the internal agenda is agreed upon and various Kashmiri parties are united on a message and a delegation, the Indo-Kashmir dialogue can begin,'' Mr. Ijaz says.

In response to a question on the meaning of decision of Kashmiri leadership to talk to India means to Pakistan, Mr. Ijaz has said Gen. Musharraf is rapidly, flexibly and correctly adopting the Pakistani position to the reality that Islamabad's pursuit of jehad-based resistance in Kashmir has not worked. ``As head of the state rather than just head of the Army, his responsibility to the larger interests of Pakistani people goes far beyond the narrow pursuit of an ideological war that is decimating an innocent population while deeply scaring the image and vitality of Pakistan as a nation. Principled resistance has turned into violent hatred and the Kashmiri political leadership has now said enough is enough''.

He has claimed a change even in the thinking of the militant organisations operating in Kashmir and in support of his contention cites the example of the meeting of militant factions in Saudi Arabia. He has claimed that the militant leaders are carrying formulae for discussion and approval among the jehad's Arab backers that will serve as the base for discussions with Hurriyat leaders in mid-January.

Saudi role

Commenting on the role being played by Saudi Arabia, Mr. Ijaz says as a long time ally of Pakistan, as home to conservative Islam's wealthy spectrum of followers and as a potential large scale supply of energy to India, the Saudi Government is taking an active role in finding mechanisms to moderate the militant movement in Kashmir. ``It is no coincidence that Jaswant Singh will visit Riyadh in early January, just a week after militant Kashmiri leaders return from Jeddah and a week before Hurriyat leaders are scheduled to meet Salahuddin and company in Islamabad. The Saudis have vested interest in Islamabad and New Delhi and a flare up in Kashmir serves no one's purpose'', he says.

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