This year the whole nation dedicated Independence Day to our Kashmiri brothers and sisters, calling it ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’ to stand with after New Delhi introduced constitutional measures to try and change the region’s demographics. President Dr Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Imran Khan, as well as the entire political leadership has vowed to support the Kashmiri cause. The prime minister spent Independence Day in Muzaffarbad while earlier on Eid, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari were also in the same city. These actions and words are worthy of appreciation, but in view of grim realities, our leadership will have to go beyond such measures and take practical steps that would force India into comprehensive negotiations.
Is it easy to internationalise the Kashmir issue? Foreign Minister Qureshi has recently been pretty straight forward in pointing out the limits of taking the case to the United Nations. Even if Pakistan does approach the UNSC, it is very likely that any one of the five permanent members would veto the move. The foreign minister needs to be cautious in expressing his thoughts. He could have said this in some other words without hurting the core issue. He knows that of the five members, at least China, our time-tested friend, would stand by Pakistan. Similarly, he talked about the economic interests of the Ummah in India. Some diplomats should brief the foreign minister that if cards are played well, these fiscal realities could force India to listen to the Muslim world. One needs to play both soft and coercive cards to win the goal. In all, the press conference of the minister in Muzaffarabad on Eid day was just a spoiler.
Mr Qureshi was, however, right in pointing out the decisive role of the Pakistani and Kashmiri diaspora, especially those living in foreign capitals. If Pakistani and Kashmiri expatriates struggle with renewed energy, it is very likely that the world media, civil society and powerful lobbies would start listening. Meanwhile, there is also no harm in reaching out to sane minds in India who share our concerns about their government’s recent actions.
South Punjab secretariat
Of the several promises that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has so far failed to honour, the establishment of a separate province in south Punjab stands out for many reasons. The government has made no serious effort, except for presenting a bill in the National Assembly. The PTI polled an overwhelming majority in the 2018 elections from the area after the party chief (and now prime minister) Imran Khan said on many occasions in election rallies that he would facilitate the creation of said province. Instead of getting the necessary legislative work done, the party now seems focused on creating an administrative secretariat in the region. Chief Minister Usman Buzdar says they have done the work on the establishment of the south Punjab secretariat and now it awaits ‘political consultation’.
What, exactly, will be the nature of this ‘political consultation? It seems there are differences on the site of the secretariat among the party leaders. A powerful lobby has been working to make Lodhran or Bahawalpur the city of the secretariat, while government circles and many party leaders want to see it in Multan. Mr Buzdar, who has spearheaded many initiatives on the development of south Punjab, says all administrative arrangements for the secretariat have been made. His government has also allocated funds in the budget.
It is very likely that with the establishment of the south Punjab secretariat, the government will bury the province issue on the pretext of its numerical poverty in Punjab and national assemblies. The fact is that the government has never made a serious effort to forge a consensus on the matter in parliament. This longstanding issue has been in the house three times already. In 2013, PPP presented a bill in the Senate demanding the creation of a South Punjab province consisting of Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur divisions, besides Bhakkar and Mianwali districts of Sargodha division. Earlier in January this year, the PML-N presented a bill for the creation of two provinces in south Punjab. The party also got a resolution on the two provinces approved by the Punjab Assembly in 2012.
PTI in May sought a province consisting of Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan and Multan divisions. The ruling party is not sure of winning the support of PML-N, and that is why it is working aggressively on the establishment of the south Punjab secretariat in Multan, besides making separate budgetary allocations for the Seraiki-speaking region. These measures cannot be the equivalent of a separate province.
