Call it endorsement and total agreement to India’s recent much awaited decision on abolishing temporary barriers and cobwebs of obsolete and worn out provisions that were loaded with impinging upon the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir partaking the fuller fruits of total integration with and economic development taking place in the country, the United States made its position clear with no ambiguities that it had neither changed its policy on Kashmir nor was interested (or had any locus standi) in performing any role of mediation. The fact of the matter is that this country, an independent and sovereign country, neither expected any advice, suggestion or even endorsement nor any backing of any country in respect of taking such steps which were needed to run its internal affairs. However, the repetitive clarification in this regard coming from an important constituent of the comity of nations immediately after Pakistan vain- fully downgraded its diplomatic ties with India as a fallout of India’s move to revoke the ‘special status’ of Jammu and Kashmir, not only mocks such move of Pakistan but is tantamount to asking it stopping daydreaming about any possibility of US mediation in Kashmir.
In this connection, it is pertinent to refer to the States Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus’s big “NO” to the reporters’ question about the possibility of any change in America’s policy on Kashmir. Even to a follow up question, the reply was “No, there is not”. Pakistan , therefore, must know that its diabolical agenda, nursed and attempted to execute against India, that of secessionism on religious and hate narrative, stood fully exposed now as never before in the world and at best, what it could derive solace from the policy statement of the American spokesperson was “Us supporting dialogue between India and Pakistan” and that “restraint and calm should prevail”. Who is getting rattled and disturbed over internal affairs of another country had to adopt both restraint and calm as India was known for promoting and advocating peace and co-operation as also glorifying the principle of mutual co-existence and inclusiveness.
The United States knows better about the contours of the venomous fangs of terrorism and the bite which sends waves of excruciating pain after 9/11 terror attack, it saw on its soil and realised better as to how India was reeling under the scourge, promoted and sustained from across the border and the entire scenario about Kashmir was Pakistan’s policy to fan trouble and mayhem instead of maintaining peace and settling things with dialogue and mutual understanding. The question as to why the talk about dialogue is not walked, is due to the principled stand of India that terror and talks could never go side by side as Pakistan continues unabated, addressing anti India terror groups sustaining on its soil and is leaving no stone unturned in providing all logistic support to them while keeping Islamist secessionists in the Valley in good humour and keeping their morale high.
Not only a sound rebuttal and ‘no intended mediation’ coming from the United States has taken the wind out of the sails of Pakistan but even the UN Chief Antonio Guterres has recalled the Simla Agreement of 1972 vide which the fact of bilateral agreement between India and Pakistan had no provision of, nor any scope or place for, finding out any avenues of third party mediation in Kashmir. This blanket ‘NO’ by the UN Chief has come in response to the request of Islamabad asking him to play his “due role” following India constitutionally and democratically revoking special status of Jammu and Kashmir. It has been seen over years that just at the drop of the hat, Pakistan either rushes to the UN or “threatens” to approach the world body very often, on Kashmir but without any diplomatic success. The UN Secretary General, instead, has reiterated that “the final status of Jammu and Kashmir has to be settled by peaceful means” which has been tried to be defeated repeatedly and consistently by Pakistan by not only invasions, infiltrations , spreading violence and destruction of life and property in Jammu and Kashmir but unauthorised(ly) altering the status of that area of the state which is under its illegal occupation vis-a-vis the position as on August 15, 1947. In other words, it has been violating the charter of the United Nations as well.
Referring to Simla Agreement and not responding positively, even in the least, to the frantic request by Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in writing to the Security Council on Kashmir, the President of the UN Security Council (August) Wronecka pooh poohed by just saying, “No comments”. Hence Pakistan getting due drubbings both at the US as well as at the UN, either for mediation or for any sort of ‘advice’ to India, the entire scenario has not only vindicated the persistent and consistent stand of India on the issue but strengthened it also. India’s national policy to fight and finish terror from across the border was not going to be altered by any sort of U-turns and turnabouts from any quarters , least by Pakistan.
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