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KAC APPRECIATES THE PRINCIPLED APPROACH OF PRIME MINISTER GILLANI

Kashmiri_American_Council<info@kashmiri.com>

Washington, D.C. May 14, 2008.  On Sunday, May 11, 2008, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Yousaf Raza Gillani had his first interview with Karan Thapar, the host of the “Devils Advocate” show on CNN-IBN.  During the course of that interview, the Prime Minister stated three key points:

1.      Kashmir is the core issue of contention between India and Pakistan.

2.      The issue must be resolved according to the United Nations Security Council resolutions.

3.      Any final settlement must include the will and the aspirations of the people of the State of Jammu & Kashmir.

“We are appreciative of the principled stand taken by Prime Minister Gillani about the Kashmir dispute,” said Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Executive Director, Kashmiri American Council/Kashmir Center.  Dr. Fai said that these three points represented parameters that were defined by the United Nations Security Council in its resolution that was adopted on April 21, 1948.

He emphasized that the only serious factor obstructing the healthy development of India-Pakistan relations was the dispute over Kashmir.  After all, India and Pakistan have fought two wars over the territory and during the Kargil crisis, they were at the brink of a nuclear catastrophe.

Dr. Fai reiterated that the United Nations Security Council resolutions couldn’t be, morally or legally, overlooked by either country.  The United Nations mandate guarantees the right of self-determination to the people of Kashmir.  To renounce this would be to renounce the very foundation of the United Nations as upheld in its Charter.

The Executive Director emphasized that no resolution of Kashmir is possible without ascertaining the will of the people of all zones of the State of Jammu and Kashmir.  Clearly, there are three parties to the dispute - India, Pakistan and the Kashmiri people. And it is a fact that the people of Kashmir are the primary party to the dispute.

Dr. Fai suggested that the parameters of the peace process between India and Pakistan be defined so that there is no confusion whether the peace process is to set a stage for the final settlement of the Kashmir dispute or to create a condition that will lead to the dissolution of the issue.