KCFR webinar on ‘India on a Slippery Slope’

Pakistan needs to go through United Nations Security Council’s resolutions with other peace-loving powerful nations and apply the same forcefully for Kashmir dispute. Otherwise, Hindutva ideology is not only destroying India but also harmful for its neighboring countries.

These views were expressed by former diplomat and caretaker government’s foreign minister Hussain Haroon at a webinar on “India on a slippery slope” hosted by Karachi Council on Foreign Relations (KCFR).

The occasion was chaired by Admiral Khalid Mir, Co-Chairman KCFR and moderated by Saleem Zamindar, member, board of governors.

Hussain Haroon said that forces like Hindutwa could tear apart India; however, we should carry on what we have to do, but through the Security Council, highlighting India has not even been able to restore election process in Kashmir.

He urged that Pakistan needs to take Kashmir issue on relevant international forums including UN Security Council, he stressed.

Ambassador Abdul Basit said that we were inconsistent, which harmed this struggle. BJP had marginalized minorities in India.

This can be witnessed by the steps of demolition of mosques, Gujrat massacre, recent legislations like citizenship act and revoking special status of Kashmir etc. India tried to attack Balakot area of Pakistan, which was a very dangerous act in the nuclear environment, he observed.

It is now for the people of India to get rid of it, if they wished to continue as a successful state. Muslims and other minorities in India do not want continuous sufferings. It is also a big impediment for regional cooperation. While the International community has its vested interests, he told.

It will be in the interest of India to resolve Kashmir issue and Pakistan will have to find an out of box solution, Abdul Basit added.

Earlier Dr. Huma Baqai said that international community would not solve the Kashmir dispute but India in its own interest will have to resolve this issue. It is not only for Muslims in India or Kashmiris, but because now the Sikhs too are raising their voices. In addition Dalits and other minorities are also struggling in this respect. However, India and Pakistan should avoid arms conflicts, in any case, she underlined.

Brig. Tariq Khalil said that in the last 70 years, with the passage of time, intifada in Kashmir has turned their struggle into new dimensions. That a new phenomenon in Kashmir had started that they are now looking towards China. That Kashmir struggle is getting intensified, but lacks logistics to sustain the effort which they are trying to generate from within India. Pakistan has a moral binding to support them, he added.

In his concluding remarks, CEO KCFR Commodore Retd. Sadeed Malik said that it appears that with second election of BJP and its support to Hindutwa, India might be on a slippery slope but it has been a long standing democracy which has its checks and balances; the situation needs to be seen as what could a patriotic Indian feels and how would they react upon the actions taken by the Modi Govt.

Though the previous governments had a similar stance towards the Muslims in India, on LOC with Pakistan and LAC with China, but BJP after winning the majority in Rajia Sabha, they have started passing laws that never were imagined by earlier governments, he referred.

POTA is being implemented ruthlessly in Kashmir which has shaken up faith to the extent that people like former Indian government appointed Chief Ministers of Kashmir like Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, also spoke against Modi regime. Continuous increase in the Defence budget of India has reduced its progress that was called India shining, Sadeed Malik further said.

Amendment of Indian constitution has aggravated. Which was rightly pointed out by the panelist that if the present fascist autocratic democracy in India continues, then the affected minorities especially, Sikhs and Muslims could raise the level of protest where the affected communities would demand referendums that has already taken place in the UK by Sikhs, he added.