Asia Times
May 9, 2003
By Syed Saleem Shahzad
This article is posted in Recent News section. Anyone have any ideas as to the last 3 paragraphs?
Where does Mr. Shahzad get the idea of a separate Ismaili state? Perhaps this needs to be investigated further?
KASHMIR IN FOCUS
Very Interesting
Change likely in regions political map
Pakistan, India look at Aga Khan, US suggestions
By Syed Saleem Shahzad
With both India and Pakistan ready for a major shift in their positions, several probable theories are underway to make the new round of talks between the two countries practical. This time both countries are even likely to compromise many of their past claims on Kashmiri territory. As a result, a change in the political map of the region is very likely.
Well-placed sources maintained that US diplomatic endeavours apart, the initiative taken by Prince Karim Aga Khan on behalf of US authorities contributed a lot in breaking the ice between the two countries.
Prince Karim Aga Khan lives in Europe but has a following in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistans Northern Areas, parts of Pakistani Kashmir and Indian occupied Kashmir are inhabited by his followers. Sir Aga Khan, grandfather of present Aga Khan, was the First President of All India Muslim League, the party which laid the foundation of Pakistan in 1947.
Karim Aga Khan visited both India and Pakistan recently. He met Mr. Vajpayee and Musharraf and stressed on both rulers for a practical solution on Kashmir and confidence building measures between the two countries.
His visit seems to have borne fruit as in the last few weeks, relations between both countries have taken on almost 180 degree turn.
Both countries took many fervent steps including normalising diplomatic ties, both countries have agreed for the restoration of air, road and train links and now working for better trade ties and softer visa regulations which will make it easy for the divided families on the both sides of the divide to visit each other.
Diplomatic sources in Pakistan emphasised that unlike past initiatives on Kashmir, the present efforts aim to establish a new round of talks based on ground facts.
The new round of talks would not be in the light of old and redundant UN resolution, water problems, Simla agreement but there are several other proposals which are given serious thought in the recent past. One of the proposals includes the one which was pointed out by The Star just before Agra Talks.
The same proposal was further elaborated by a US think-tank, the Kashmir Study Group with many micro details. It came out with a long paper complete with detailed maps of a new Kashmir entity or entities, each with its own government and constitution.
The paper suggests that the tehsils of Kashmir proper, Doda district, Gool Gulabgarh in Udhampur district, Poonch and three northern tehsils of adjacent Rajauri could be made part of the new autonomous entity or entities acceptable to both India and Pakistan and the people of Kashmir.
The Kashmir Study Group, which functions as an advisory body to the US State Department, claims that the new detailed proposal is based on responses received from opinion makers, including government officials, in both India and Pakistan.
The US think-tank maintains that the responses were positive towards the creation of a Kashmir entity. Former bureaucrats and defence officers were involved in the preparation of the draft proposal of which has now been concretised into three options:
Two Kashmiri entities on either side of the Line of Control, one entity straddling the LoC, or just one entity on the Indian side of the LoC. In all the three options, the proposed entities have their own government, constitution and special relationship with India and/or Pakistan.
The proposal, under discussion at different levels in both the countries, seeks to identify areas in Jammu and Kashmir which would like to be part of the new Kashmiri entity.
The identification is on the basis of religion and Kashmiriyat. Kargil is also included in the list of districts but the paper adds that though this group too has interacted closely with Kashmiris their desire to join a Kashmiri state cannot be assumed.
On the Pakistan side, the paper presumes that what is now Azad Kashmir would opt to have sovereign status more or less equivalent to that of the Eastern Kashmiri state.
The Kashmir Study Group, however, which is more categorical in listing the supposed preferences of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, hesitates to make the same presumptions for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, stating, it is presently difficult to gauge the wishes of the people of the region and we have therefore not attempted to distinguish varying regional degrees of desire for a new political dispensation.
The paper, while providing for a single Kashmiri state with the concurrence of India and Pakistan, states that this would be more difficult than the other option of two Kashmiri entities on either side of the LoC. The Living-stone proposal had envisaged the new entity with its own citizenship, flag and legislature with full jurisdiction on all matters other than defence and foreign affairs. India and Pakistan would provide for the defence and foreign affairs. Kashmiri entity would be required to maintain its own police for internal security purposes.
The new proposal goes into details about the religious, language and territorial profile of the region it is dealing with.
It also goes on to question the existing Line of Control as dysfunctional and without any inherent logic. It proposes territorial exchanges between both India and Pakistan to enhance regional security. This involves 11,815 square kilometers of territory.
Sources said that apart from the proposals mentioned in the above mentioned study, there are differences on many operational details. However, there are few new theories which shed light on the necessity for the creation of some neutral entities which would serve as a buffer between the proposed new entities of Kashmir.
This theory stresses to carve out a new autonomous entity comprising Pakistani Northern Areas inhabited by Ismaili community and Indian Kashmir Northern Areas inhabited by the same community. This will have a population of one million people who would give an autonomous status under an Ismaili administration.
Sources said that both Indian and Pakistani governments have apparently no objection in establishing an Ismaili State with a population of about one million people. Even today, most of the needs in those areas are fulfilled by Aga Khan Foundation. Almost 90 percent schools, hospitals and services including civic services are operated by Aga Khan Foundation.
Strategically, establishment of this new autonomous state would serve a buffer between two countries with congenial ties with both governments. Sources said that many ideas have been evolved in the last few years. Once India and Pakistan initiate dialogue, these ideas would further refine and take more acceptable shape for both the countries, a senior diplomat added.
Pakistan, India look at Aga Khan, US suggestions
By Syed Saleem Shahzad
With both India and Pakistan ready for a major shift in their positions, several probable theories are underway to make the new round of talks between the two countries practical. This time both countries are even likely to compromise many of their past claims on Kashmiri territory. As a result, a change in the political map of the region is very likely.
Well-placed sources maintained that US diplomatic endeavours apart, the initiative taken by Prince Karim Aga Khan on behalf of US authorities contributed a lot in breaking the ice between the two countries.
Prince Karim Aga Khan lives in Europe but has a following in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistans Northern Areas, parts of Pakistani Kashmir and Indian occupied Kashmir are inhabited by his followers. Sir Aga Khan, grandfather of present Aga Khan, was the First President of All India Muslim League, the party which laid the foundation of Pakistan in 1947.
Karim Aga Khan visited both India and Pakistan recently. He met Mr. Vajpayee and Musharraf and stressed on both rulers for a practical solution on Kashmir and confidence building measures between the two countries.
His visit seems to have borne fruit as in the last few weeks, relations between both countries have taken on almost 180 degree turn.
Both countries took many fervent steps including normalising diplomatic ties, both countries have agreed for the restoration of air, road and train links and now working for better trade ties and softer visa regulations which will make it easy for the divided families on the both sides of the divide to visit each other.
Diplomatic sources in Pakistan emphasised that unlike past initiatives on Kashmir, the present efforts aim to establish a new round of talks based on ground facts.
The new round of talks would not be in the light of old and redundant UN resolution, water problems, Simla agreement but there are several other proposals which are given serious thought in the recent past. One of the proposals includes the one which was pointed out by The Star just before Agra Talks.
The same proposal was further elaborated by a US think-tank, the Kashmir Study Group with many micro details. It came out with a long paper complete with detailed maps of a new Kashmir entity or entities, each with its own government and constitution.
The paper suggests that the tehsils of Kashmir proper, Doda district, Gool Gulabgarh in Udhampur district, Poonch and three northern tehsils of adjacent Rajauri could be made part of the new autonomous entity or entities acceptable to both India and Pakistan and the people of Kashmir.
The Kashmir Study Group, which functions as an advisory body to the US State Department, claims that the new detailed proposal is based on responses received from opinion makers, including government officials, in both India and Pakistan.
The US think-tank maintains that the responses were positive towards the creation of a Kashmir entity. Former bureaucrats and defence officers were involved in the preparation of the draft proposal of which has now been concretised into three options:
Two Kashmiri entities on either side of the Line of Control, one entity straddling the LoC, or just one entity on the Indian side of the LoC. In all the three options, the proposed entities have their own government, constitution and special relationship with India and/or Pakistan.
The proposal, under discussion at different levels in both the countries, seeks to identify areas in Jammu and Kashmir which would like to be part of the new Kashmiri entity.
The identification is on the basis of religion and Kashmiriyat. Kargil is also included in the list of districts but the paper adds that though this group too has interacted closely with Kashmiris their desire to join a Kashmiri state cannot be assumed.
On the Pakistan side, the paper presumes that what is now Azad Kashmir would opt to have sovereign status more or less equivalent to that of the Eastern Kashmiri state.
The Kashmir Study Group, however, which is more categorical in listing the supposed preferences of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, hesitates to make the same presumptions for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, stating, it is presently difficult to gauge the wishes of the people of the region and we have therefore not attempted to distinguish varying regional degrees of desire for a new political dispensation.
The paper, while providing for a single Kashmiri state with the concurrence of India and Pakistan, states that this would be more difficult than the other option of two Kashmiri entities on either side of the LoC. The Living-stone proposal had envisaged the new entity with its own citizenship, flag and legislature with full jurisdiction on all matters other than defence and foreign affairs. India and Pakistan would provide for the defence and foreign affairs. Kashmiri entity would be required to maintain its own police for internal security purposes.
The new proposal goes into details about the religious, language and territorial profile of the region it is dealing with.
It also goes on to question the existing Line of Control as dysfunctional and without any inherent logic. It proposes territorial exchanges between both India and Pakistan to enhance regional security. This involves 11,815 square kilometers of territory.
Sources said that apart from the proposals mentioned in the above mentioned study, there are differences on many operational details. However, there are few new theories which shed light on the necessity for the creation of some neutral entities which would serve as a buffer between the proposed new entities of Kashmir.
This theory stresses to carve out a new autonomous entity comprising Pakistani Northern Areas inhabited by Ismaili community and Indian Kashmir Northern Areas inhabited by the same community. This will have a population of one million people who would give an autonomous status under an Ismaili administration.
Sources said that both Indian and Pakistani governments have apparently no objection in establishing an Ismaili State with a population of about one million people. Even today, most of the needs in those areas are fulfilled by Aga Khan Foundation. Almost 90 percent schools, hospitals and services including civic services are operated by Aga Khan Foundation.
Strategically, establishment of this new autonomous state would serve a buffer between two countries with congenial ties with both governments. Sources said that many ideas have been evolved in the last few years. Once India and Pakistan initiate dialogue, these ideas would further refine and take more acceptable shape for both the countries, a senior diplomat added.