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India is not seeking a settlement with Musharraf. It is dealing with Pakistan. The latest proposal from him should, thus, be assessed after a reality check on Pakistan.
Take a reality check on Musharraf. He is a successful Mohajir. The Mohajirs, unlike most Pakistani Punjabis who opposed the Partition, were the pro-Pakistan ideologues who migrated from India. Later, many recognised their folly and settled abroad. They admit Pakistan was a mistake. The Mohajirs who stayed behind are obsessed with India. Musharraf is one of them. He repeatedly demands equal treatment with India. Musharraf masterminded the attack on Kargil. He continues to describe terrorist attacks on women and children in Kashmir as a freedom struggle. He continues to permit terrorist recruitment and training camps to operate within Pakistan. He is not, therefore, a prepossessing negotiator for peace. Failed assassination attempts against him persuaded some critics that he was helpless and could not control terrorism. It does not matter if he can control them or not. What matters is the end result. He does not deliver.
India, however, is not seeking a settlement with Musharraf. It is dealing with Pakistan. The latest proposal from the Pakistan president should, thus, be assessed after a reality check on Pakistan. Musharraf has proposed joint Indo-Pakistan management of a demilitarised self-governing Kashmir. Surely, he knows that joint management of Kashmir can’t be isolated from other facets of the Indo-Pakistan relationship. At the very least, joint management would imply total understanding between India and Pakistan on security matters related to the subcontinent. Security itself cannot be divorced from trade and tariff barriers. Joint management of Kashmir would imply a deep and strategic overall relationship between India and Pakistan.
Is Musharraf prepared for it? More importantly, is Pakistan prepared for it? Although Musharraf recently claimed that Balochistan’s armed protest had been put down, the problem is far from over. A problem persists even with NWFP and Afghanistan. And a problem persists with the army-controlled democracy Musharraf heads. The Indian government did not take Musharraf’s latest proposal seriously.
The question is: Does Musharraf himself take it seriously?
(Puri can be reached at rajinderpuri2000@yahoo.com)