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A Possible
Kashmir Solution
 After
recent protests and killings in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK),
UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has said he is closely watching
the situation in Kashmir. He did not say what he intends to do
about Kashmir problem as Secretary General of United Nations.
If UN Secretary General takes any steps to
resolve Kashmir issue he is the legitimate authority to do so
because he heads an institution which has several unfulfilled
resolutions on its files.
Here is what Mr. Ban Ki Moon as UN Secretary
General can do to give some relief to Kashmiris without
upsetting the status quo. It can be a possible first step to
solve Kashmir conflict amicably.
UN Secretary General should convince India,
Pakistan and China they should maintain their stance on Kashmir;
India can keep its army in Kashmir, China can maintain its
overall control over the territory it controls, and Pakistan can
maintain its control on Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), but
they all three must agree on two things: 1) they should agree on
one legislator body for all three parts of Kashmir, 2) they
should also agree to let Kashmiris build their own
administrative structure. The legislative body should make laws
for Kashmiris without threatening the interests of India,
Pakistan and China and Administrative body should run day today
affairs of Kashmiris.
These two bodies should come into existence
and work directly under the supervision of United Nations.
By agreeing to these steps India, Pakistan,
and China will not have to withdraw from Kashmir for now.
Kashmiris will not get immediate freedom, but they will have one
legislative and administrative body for all three parts of
Kashmir. Kashmiris will have right to free movement in all three
parts of Kashmir without any documentation or check points. They
will have the right to engage in trade in any part of the
Kashmir they like. The legislative body will have the right to
impose taxes on Kashmiris property, commercial activities and
other taxable services and Administrative body will have the
right to collect those taxes and use the revenues for managing
Kashmiris affairs in all three parts of Kashmir.
So far India and Pakistan have presented
Kashmir conflict as a bilateral issue. For all these years,
Kashmiris have been demanding to make this conflict a tripartite
issue and include them in bilateral dialogues between India and
Pakistan as a third legitimate party.
Our contention is Kashmir is neither
bilateral nor tripartite issue. The fact of the matter is
Kashmir is a one party issue and that party is Kashmiris. As one
people, Kashmiris have every right to have their own legislator
and administrative body and run their day today affairs without
involving India, Pakistan and China.
India, Pakistan and China may maintain their
stakes, but they have to allow Kashmiris to live decent,
honorable, fearless lives on their territories without
persecution or getting killed.
If United Nations can achieve this kind of
arrangement with India, Pakistan and China it will provide
immediate relief to Kashmiris. India, Pakistan and China do not
want to set Kashmiris free for now, they must allow them manage
their lives according to their wishes by allowing them self rule
in all three parts of Kashmir through one legislative and one
administrative body.
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