Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf’s Speech of 12 January 2002
28 Jan, 2002 · 684
Report of the IPCS Roundtable Discussion held on 18 January 2002
Chair:
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PR Chari, Director IPCS
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List of Participants:
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PR Chari, KK Mitra, AK Verma, AK Dave, Maj Gen Ashok Krishna (retd), Maj Gen Ramesh Chopra (retd), T. Ananthachari, Brig PS Malhan, I P Khosla, G Balachandran, Ram Mohan Rao, Sankar Sen, P K Dave, Kalim Bahadur, Col Sanjeev Chopra, Sonika Gupta, Arpit Rajain, Suba Chandran.
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Chairman’s opening remarks
- General Musharraf’s speech was intended for three constituencies. In order of importance, they were his domestic constituency, the
United States India - If General Musharraf is able to successfully implement the reforms announced, he would change the basic nature of
Pakistan Pakistan - His statement on
Kashmir was on expected lines and the least that he could have said on the issue. - Since
India Pakistan Pakistan India Pakistan Pakistan - The troop deployment on the Indo-Pak border is expensive and cannot be indefinitely continued. The timing of the drawdown needs to be carefully arrived at, without reference to domestic political exigencies. International opinion has been disconcerted by this massive deployment and sees it as inimical to peace in the region. Its present support to
India
Troop deployment
- This represents a combination of political, diplomatic and military pressure that has worked on Musharraf.
India Pakistan - The Indian Army chief’s statements on troop deployment and the nuclear option were a part of the Indian effort to exert pressure on
Pakistan - Troop withdrawal is a slow exercise, and the expectation of an immediate de-escalation would be unrealistic.
India - Military CBMs need to be initiated by negotiations between military officials to prevent escalation of the border situation.
Domestic situation in Pakistan
Pakistan Kashmir fromIndia Pakistan Pakistan - His reforms, if implemented, will have a significant impact on
Pakistan Kashmir will remain the central issue. - The Pakistani Army is largely Islamized and domestic reforms may have no impact on it.
- Musharraf comes across as a liberal, but whether his future in
Pakistan - National Committee on
Kashmir - The constituting of the National Committee on
Kashmir is a positive step. If the Committee wishes to have a dialogue withIndia Kashmir .
International Opinion
- The
Kashmir dispute has been willy-nilly internationalized. World attention is focused on the happenings inKashmir . There is also satellite surveillance of the military situation on the LoC and the international border. - The
US Kashmir dispute.India US Pakistan Kashmir . - The nuclearization of
India Pakistan Kashmir .
Situation in the Valley
- Musharraf’s speech has been widely welcomed in the Valley. Curbs on the LeT and the JeM bring hope for a reduction in militant violence in
Kashmir . - Farooq Abdullah, too, has asked that Musharraf be given time to prove the seriousness of his intent.
- The issue of governance in
Kashmir is of equal importance and the State and Central governments should not ignore this aspect of the problem. - Autonomy talks in
Kashmir should be conducted only after elections are held there to express the will of the people. - Dialogue with the representatives of the Kashmiri people must be initiated to stem their growing alienation from the government.
- Greater trade between
Kashmir and the rest ofIndia Kashmir and facilitate greater economic integration. -
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Rehabilitation of the Kashmiri Pandits is a neglected issue and needs to be vigourously pursued to reach any solution to the problem.
Miscellaneous
- In view of the close Sino-Pak ties,
India China Kashmir dispute. - There was no mention in Musharraf’s speech of the role of the ISI in abetting and organizing terrorist strikes in
India - There is no effort by the government to educate the media on these important issues. Better media interaction is required for
India