Expect Musharraf to be realistic on Kashmir
Say the Pakistani journalists who have arrived in India ahead of his visit adding that the atmospherics are radically different from four years ago.
Indo-Asian News Service
New Delhi: Going by what the Pakistani journalists who have arrived here have to say, there is a distinct mellowing of mood in Pakistan in favour of peace with India and perhaps "less rigidity" on Kashmir. Ahead of Pakistan President Pervez Musharaf`s visit starting Saturday, the hype that preceded the 2001 Agra summit has been replaced by pragmatism and sober realisation that there is really no alternative to peace.
"There are no grand expectations from Musharraf`s India visit in Pakistan. Any talk of breakthrough on the Kashmir issue is premature," Fahd Husain, editor of The News, part of the influential Jang group of newspapers, told IANS.
"The significance of his visit lies in the fact that it will keep the peace process on course. It`s a key transitional period. That`s why it is necessary to maintain the momentum in the peace process," he says, in an effort to explain Musharraf`s plan to discuss Kashmir during the talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the weekend.
In an interview in Rawalpindi Thursday, Musharraf said he was "fairly optimistic" that his meeting with Manmohan Singh would bring the two countries closer to "a resolution of this (Kashmir) dispute". Acknowledging that confidence-building measures like the launch of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabd bus between the two halves of divided Kashmir has made a huge difference to the atmosphere, Musharraf said he was going to India this time in a "friendly and harmonious environment".
"The atmospherics are radically different from what it was four years ago. The Kashmir issue is important for Pakistanis but it doesn`t arouse the same passions" says Muhammad Suhail Rehman, coordinating editor of the Islamabad-based Urdu daily Ausaf.
Husain agrees: "In general there is less rigidity on Kashmir. There is less emotionalism attached to the issue. There is a lot of talk about solutions, but people still don`t know what they really want." What is refreshing is that there is more candour on Kashmir, an issue has triggered two of the three wars between two nuclear-armed neighbours. "People in Pakistan are willing to listen to many arguments. It`s in sync with Musharraf`s line that both sides must be flexible," he points out.
Sikander H. Lodhi, chief reporter with the high circulation Urdu daily Nawa-I-Waqt, agrees that there is a softening of mood over Kashmir in Pakistan. But preferring to call a spade a spade, he strongly feels that Kashmir is the "fountainhead" of problems between the two countries and that there is little real movement on the orthodox positions they have held on both sides.
"India regards Kashmir as an integral part of the Indian union and Pakistan regards it as occupied territory in India`s control. And they will never budge from these positions," he says. "As far as the issue of Kashmir is concerned, India and Pakistan are like the ruling party and the opposition. Can the ruling party and the opposition ever unite?" Lodhi asks rhetorically.
Most of the journalists, however, agreed that Musharraf is the best bet for pushing the peace process between the two countries. Says Suhail Rehman: "Musharraf is the chief decision maker in Pakistan. He is serious about solving Kashmir and he doesn`t need to consult anyone over it."