CSS Pakistan Affairs | Bilateral Talks Between Pak-India
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Outline
1-Introduction
2-An overview of the Pak-India relationship
3-Unsuccessful bilateral talks between Pak-India: An overview
4-Reasons for a neutral role of third-party involvement in Pak-India conflicts
5-How the US and UN can play a mediator role between Pak-India: Taking Examples from the history
- ✓In the Initial years of partition- 1948-49
- ✓Signing of the Indus Water Treaty in 1960
- ✓Rann of Kutch Dispute in 1965
- ✓1984, 1986-87, 1989-90 conflicts
- ✓Kargil Crisis 1999
- ✓Tussles in 2002
- ✓Current role of the US as mediator 2020
6-Critical Analysis of bilateral talks between Pak-India
7-Conclusion
Answer to the Question
Introduction
Revolution, despite involving changes in political regimes and giving rise to the birth of new nations, carries out violent clashes, such as regional and political wars, thousands of killings, and destructions. However, Pakistan, being theocratic, and India, being secular, have enjoyed partition in 1947, but they have been confronting the aftermath of the revolution in which several issues remained unsolved. Regardless of several efforts of the Pakistani-Indian authorities in sitting in bilateral talks, including The 1950 Nehru- Liaquat pact, the Nehru-Feroz Khan Noon settlement in 1958, the Shimla Summit on 02 July 1972, Agra Summit on 14 July 2001, and the Lahore Summit on 21 February 1999, still both the nations are having hostile relationship due to dispute over Kashmir, Indus Water, and multiple discrepancies. As a result, the jeopardy become an Achilles’ heel and led both countries to step into wars in 1947-49, 1965, and 1971, causing Pakistan to lose its East wing. Although the wars grabbed the attention of the US and UN and made them intervene to force Pakistan and India to ceasefire, the relationship between Pakistan and India is still strained and fragile. Currently, there have been gun exchanges and firings across the LoC line. India was accused of killing two Pakistani nationals and 50 civilians in Balochistan, and Pakistan was accused of supporting anti-India groups. Furthermore, the menace made the situation horrible for the Muslims in Kashmir, who face pernicious threats. To combat the issue, there is a dire need for the mediating role of the UN or the US, which was already offered by the US president in 2020. Thus, Pakistan and India should accept the offer and step towards peaceful settlements before the situation worsens, and a new war emerges.
An overview of the Pak-India relationship
Despite having common cultural, traditional, civilizational, and linguistic affinity and common social and economic values, Pakistan and India have been facing enduring hostility since their inception. The rivalry rose due to chaos that happened during the 1947 partition when millions of Aboriginals were migrated, displaced, and killed. Regional and political disputes have also been over specific areas, such as Dhaka, Jammu, and Kashmir. The conflict triggered three violent wars: the first war in 1947-48, known as the first Kashmir War; the second Kashmir War in 1965, preceded by skirmishes and the engagement of the most oversized armed vehicles and most giant war tanks; the third one was the Indo-Pakistani War in 1971. This resulted in the separation of East Pakistan and forming an independent country, Bangladesh. However, to maintain peace, both the nations at war, led by the UN, called for an agreement, the Shimla Agreement, resulting in a ceasefire and the designating the Line of Control (LoC). Aside from that, despite numerous bilateral attempts, including the Shimla Summit, Agra Summit, and Lahore Summit, to ameliorate the relations between Pakistan and India, the ties remained strained and rigid.
Currently, Pakistan and India are yet in a rocky relationship due to historical rivalry and army conflicts between them. Furthermore, the risk of escalation is tangible as Pakistan has been supporting anti-India groups. There is the threat of militant attacks from India in concern with Kashmir issue conflicts, and even after a ceasefire in February 2021, and New Delhi still continues to push centralized control over Indian-administered Kashmir. Withal, there has been gun exchange and firings in the disputed border, the LoC. Pakistan has accused India of committing extrajudicial killings, including two Pakistani nationals in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and taking the lives of more than fifty civilians by bombing in Balochistan. Thus, the recent turmoil can fuel Indian rivalry and hinder peace.
Unsuccessful bilateral talks between India-Pak: An overview
Several times, Pakistan and India sat in prominent bilateral talks, which were less successful and more in vain in terms of the Kashmir issue solution. The successful ones include the 1950 Nehru- Liaquat pact, Nehru- Feroz Khan Noon settlements in 1958, and the Shimla Accord, which helped in the release of 90,000 Prisoners of War (POW) of the 1971 war, and some differences, including Kashmir, were resolved. However, history also witnessed unsuccessful bilateral tracks that gave rise to the conflicts. To illustrate, in 1950, negotiations between two leaders, Muhammad Ali Bogra and Nehru, failed in Delhi when Pakistan got military assistance from the US in December 1962. A marathon of round table talks was also unsuccessful when Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Swaran Singh disagreed on specific formulas. And in 1989, Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi and Pakistani PM. Benazir Bhutto endorsed a draft of the agreement, which remained unimplemented. Thus, bilateral tracks are prominent but have no positive effects on mutual relationships.
Reasons for a neutral role of third party involvement in Pak-India conflicts
Moreover, as a result of unsuccessful bilateral talks, historical disputes, the current rivalry situation, and the unresolved Kashmir issue, it is high time for India and Pakistan to give hands to third-party mediators to figure out their problems before new war comes into being, for stability in Pak-India relation is not only indispensable for peace and prosperity in their lands but also significant for regional stability of the South Asia in terms of political, economic, and societal affairs. Therefore, multilateral involvement and third-party mediator can play pivotal roles in resolving their conflicts as they pressure both rival nations to pursue peaceful resolution and navigate complex issues. For this purpose, the US can play an influential role since the country has the potential to bring the rival nations India and Pakistan into peace talks the way it has played its role in history.
How the US and UK can play a mediator role between Pak and India?
Undoubtedly, the US and the UN have been playing a significant mediating role between Pakistan and India historically. Regardless of their desires to have influence in the South Asia region and maintain their say and power to set back China and Russia, the US and UN have the will and potential to put forward Pakistan and India into peace talks as they support the idea of democracy. To elaborate, by highlighting historical and current examples, the following paragraphs explain how the US and UN can mediate effectively between Pakistan and India.
- ✓In the Initial years of partition- 1948-49
Initially, in the beginning years of partition, Pakistan and India started a war over the princely states of Jammu and Kashmir in 1947. While losing control over the war, India took the matter to the UN Council, which later passed Resolution 39 (1948). The United Nations for India and Pakistan (UNCIP) was established to investigate the issues and mediate between the two new nations, and a ceasefire in 1948 was monitored. The UN’s successful mediation was included in conciliation, problem-solving, and good offices.
- ✓Signing of the Indus Water Treaty in 1960
Next, the water of the Indus Treaty has been a source of war between Pakistan and India for many decades, resulting in chaos and conflicts. In the same way, the water of the Indus Treaty has been another source of tussle between the hostile nations, making them experience chaos and conflicts for decades. However, the issue was mainly solved by the efforts of The World Bank in 1960.So, the World Bank led in bringing the rivals for a final deal.
- ✓The Rann of Kutch Dispute in 1965
In addition, the Rann of Kutch, a marshy area located between Sindh Province and India’s Gujrat, over which Pakistani and Indian armies clashed in April 1965, was later settled peacefully by the efforts of the UK. The rival nations agreed to resolve the issue through a tribunal appointed by the UK. As stated by Khalida Quraishi,
“Britain has earlier taken a stand on the question of Kashmir and had mediated in 1965 the Run of Kutch dispute between India and Pakistan”.
- ✓1984, 1986-87, 1989-90 conflicts
Further, there was a rise of three potential conflicts in 1984 when there was a threat in Pakistan that India wanted to destroy Pakistan’s nuclear facilities, a military exercise triggered by India against Pakistan in 1986-87, and a dangerous violence was created in Kashmir 1989-90. The conflicts were about to initiate another war between India and Pakistan, which was resolved and set down peacefully by the involvement of the US, as argued by Chari, Cheema, and Cohen.
- ✓The Kargil Crisis 1999
Again, the US played a lead role in ending the conflict in the Kargil War of 1999 when Pakistan and India were mediated by the US President, Bill Clinton. After Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Clinton’s meeting on 04 July 1999, Clinton persuaded Pakistan to withdraw troops and talked on the telephone with Vajpayee, and the ceasefire was arranged.
- ✓Tussles in 2001-2002
Afterwards, both the rival nations one more time deployed their aggressive militaries to trigger another war against each other as a result of the attack on the Indian Parliament on 13 December 2001. But soon, in 2002, the US arbitrated and defused the tussle. However, the reason behind the US mediation was the concern that the US had for Pakistan, for Pakistan wanted to withdraw its troops from the volatile north-western border where the Pakistan army was fighting against terrorism. This fact made the US mediate Pakistan and India. The threat of nuclear conflagration was another reason for the US to intervene. According to Nicholas Watt, “Pakistan boasted of a Nuclear Strike in India within eight seconds.”
- ✓Current role of the US as Mediator 2020
Finally, Pakistan’s indispensable role towards peace agreements in Afghanistan and South Asia made US President Donald Trump’s administration willing to offer mediation in the Pakistan–India conflict over Kashmir. For this purpose, The US president, during a two-day official visit to India on 25 February 2020 and Donald Trump, met Pakistan’s president Imran Khan on 22 January 2020 and offered his willingness to mediate Kashmir. Moreover, the US government officials, journalists, policymakers, and scholars have supported the idea of Kashmir dispute resolution.
Critical Analysis of bilateral talks between Pak-India
Critically, rivalries between nations have always been dangerous, following wars, genocide, and regional unrest not only in the countries in conflict but also in chaos in neighbouring countries and even bringing tensions in the entire continent. The rivalry between Palestine and Israel, Russia and Ukraine, Saudi Arabia and Iran, and Pakistan and India are prime examples of the intensity of the situation. However, to eschew such implications, policies, including interventions, bilateral tracks, and third-party mediation, are introduced to make the two parties sit together and reach a peaceful conclusion. To illustrate, while the conflicts between Iran and Saudi Arabia were rising, China attempted to step forward and bring both nations into friendly negotiations. Accordingly, a third party role is also crucial in mediating between Pakistan and India, the hostile nations, to maintain peace and stability in the countries and the entire South Asia region. Without third-party intervention, the peaceful relationships between countries are tough to crack. To avoid future wars and conflicts, it is incumbent to give hands to the US offer of mediation and step toward betterment. As stated by Martin Luther King, “Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such method is love”.
Conclusion
The relationship between Pakistan and India is continuously possessing aggression, legal issues, and disputes even though the UN/US have been trying to bring both rival nations into peace talks and settlements. As the bilateral talks between Pakistan and India have not yielded fruits, insurgencies in Kashmir and Balochistan are rising, and the number of killings and firings have been increasing; both nations need to end this humanitarian crisis not through bilateral talks but through a third-party mediator, UN/US. The mediator played a vital role in solving the Indus water issue, the 1984, 1986-87, 1989-90 conflicts, and the ceasefire in the Kargil war in 1999, and it played a significant role in stopping the countries from nuclear attempts. Thus, the rival nations, Pakistan and India, should give hands to the US to avoid further disputes, which has already offered to play its mediating role.
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