India-Pakistan disputes and US mediation

 

The United States has reiterated its offer to mediate between Pakistan and India upon the willingness of the two. State Department spokesman Ned Price says that Pakistan and India will determine their own decisions and procedures to resolve their mutual disputes. It is restoring strategic relations with Pakistan. After the withdrawal from Afghanistan, there was a disloyalty in Pakistan-US relations. The US was willing to impose an economic blockade on Pakistan by holding it responsible for its helplessness in Afghanistan.

 In the new circumstances, the United States is not ready to take any responsibility for the resolution of Pakistan's regional disputes, however, in case of the consent of the parties, it seems ready to play its role for purposeful discussions. There are two major issues between Pakistan and India, Kashmir and water distribution. The rest of the issues can be resolved automatically after these two issues are resolved. In reality, only the resolution of the Kashmir dispute is necessary for the peace of both countries and the region. America is a global power, the economic and political system of the world cannot ignore her influence. The international community has seen that when the Christian-majority areas of Sudan and Indonesia demanded to separate, they were met with bloodshed. Independence was given without peaceful political means. The people of Kashmir and Palestine are suffering the oppression of oppressive governments.

The Kashmiri people have presented thousands of testimonies, but the international community and especially the United States could not help them. Everyone has the right to freedom, human rights and respect without discrimination. Then why are the people of Kashmir deprived of this? After India's illegal occupation of Kashmir, this issue was heard for the first time in the Security Council in January 1948. The initial resolutions on the Kashmir issue in the United Nations Security Council are based on an appeal to Pakistan and India to remain peaceful and to cooperate with the Security Council. The Security Council through a resolution established the Commission, which was named the United Nations Commission on India Pakistan (UNCIP). The commission visited India, Pakistan and the state of Kashmir. After discussions with the two governments and after reviewing the situation in Kashmir, on 13 August 1948, it passed its first detailed resolution on Kashmir, which was divided into three parts. The first part was related to ceasefire. In the second part, the armistice agreement and the method of returning the troops were discussed. The third part was related to holding referendum. The commission was successful in implementing the first part of the resolution i.e. the ceasefire.

Pakistan and India agreed to a ceasefire in Kashmir from January 1, 1949. In this regard, the second detailed resolution was approved by the commission on January 5, 1949, which holding of free referendum has been discussed and the appointment and powers of poll moderators have also been highlighted. According to the UN resolutions, it was necessary for a free referendum to ensure the implementation of the first two parts of the resolution, i.e. ceasefire and withdrawal of troops.

A cease-fire was reached and with the consent of both countries, Admiral Nimitz of America was appointed as the moderator of the plebiscite. However, India could not be convinced of the second part of the resolution, i.e. the procedure for the withdrawal of troops after the ceasefire, due to which the third part of the resolution could never be implemented and the referendum process was stalled. After the failure of the commission, in December 1949, the President of the Security Council, General McNaughton, attempted a settlement. In 1950, Australian High Court Judge Sir Owen Dixon was sent to South Asia as a representative of the United Nations. On his return in 1951, American Dr. Frank Graham became the United Nations representative. He held the responsibilities for two years and made various proposals regarding the withdrawal of troops from Kashmir, but his efforts were also futile.

In fact, India wishes that Jammu and Kashmir should not be discussed. That is why not only the efforts of the United Nations Commission and their appointed representatives were not allowed to succeed, but all the offers of mediation were also rejected. Turkiye, Britain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States have offered to mediate the dispute as bilateral, but avoid bilateral negotiations. India unilaterally changed the constitutional status of Kashmir on August 5, 2019. Recently, the Lieutenant Governor of Occupied Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, expressed his ambitions to make Azad Kashmir a part of India and fulfill the dream of a united India. There are signs of behavior that can put the peace and stability of the region at stake. The Indian authorities cannot change the legal status of the Kashmir conflict with such baseless claims. There is a need to adopt a policy of playing a role for the observance of human rights. If India is not ready to resolve disputes through dialogue, then another way of implementing the UN resolutions should be found without pause.