EDITORIAL: In a rare exhibition of support by a Western country for Pakistan’s position on the Kashmir issue, speaking at press conference in Berlin last Friday alongside her Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, said her country had a “role and responsibility with regard to the situation in Kashmir.”
Germany supports “intensively the engagement of the United Nations” to find a peaceful solution of the dispute in the region, she added, urging both Pakistan and India to follow the “track of the United Nations and to intensify the political dialogue, and also political and practical cooperation in the region.”
It is difficult to figure out what prompted a top Western official to publicly call for the resolution of the Kashmir issue. Prima facie, it seems to be provoked by concerns about the humanitarian crisis created by the Narendra Modi’s government in the Illegally Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K).
However, a day later, US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome arrived in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on a three-day visit his embassy said was designed to “promote the US-Pakistan partnership and highlight the two countries’ deep economic, cultural and people-to-people ties.”
That can be seen as sign of US wanting to refashion its relations with this country within the wider geostrategic context rather than the hitherto security-centred transactional relations. He was also quoted as saying “I’m honoured to visit during my first trip to AJK.”
It is worth noting that although the US’ official position is that Kashmir is a disputed territory, AJK is referred to as Pakistan-administered Kashmir and the one ruled by India as the Indian-administered Kashmir.
It was not without significance therefore for Ambassador Blome not only to travel to that part of Kashmir but also to call it AJK (independent Jammu and Kashmir).
The apparent change in the Western policy towards IIOJ&K comes after India along with China and a couple of other countries abstained from recent voting on a US-sponsored UN Security Council resolution condemning Russia’s “illegal referenda” and annexation of four Ukrainian territories. Earlier in February also, it similarly abstained from voting on a resolution that denounced the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Predictably, New Delhi has reacted sharply to German Foreign Minister’s remarks and US Ambassador’s visit to AJK. Its external affairs ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said his government “vehemently opposes” any third party intervention in what India regards a bilateral issue with Pakistan.
Baerbock, though, had advocated the world body’s engagement because UN Security Council resolutions call for settlement of this festering dispute according to the wishes of Kashmiri people.
As usual, Bagchi also tried to blame Pakistan for India’s troubles in IIOJ&K, accusing it of fomenting terrorism, duly termed as “preposterous” criticism by Islamabad.
The two Western countries’ two back-to-back moves may be meant to put pressure on their ‘strategic partner’ to stay on side, but the peace and stability of this region demand that India resolve the Kashmir dispute according to the wishes of its people.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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