India-Pakistan Relations

Relations between India and Pakistan have been complex due to a number of historical and political events. Relations between the two states have been defined by the violent partition of British India in 1947, the Kashmir conflict and the numerous military conflicts fought between the two nations.

India and Pakistan are two immediate neighbouring countries of South-Asia. Seven decades have passed; the relations of these two unfortunate countries have never been normal and are at their lowest level today. The clash of their national interests and unresolved issues are the main reasons.

Indo-Pak relations are an elaborate chapter and therefore should be seen in the light of their long historic background. India and Pakistan both had been created on the basis of “Two Nation” theory and under the formula of Hindu majority areas of the Sub-Continent as an independent sovereign India and the Muslims –majority areas as Pakistan. The hawkish Hindu political leaders of India, who had for a long time been dreaming of “Akhand Bharat” became disappointed and had not accepted the creation of Pakistan.

India has produced dynamic political leaders. They had the vision and desire to see India to emerge as a world-Power, leader of Asia and its supremacy over the Indian Ocean.

The megalomaniac leaders of India had therefore started with occupying the nearby islands in Indian Ocean, then with fake documents prepared from the ruler of the state of Jammu Kashmir and an absurd plea had attacked and occupied the state and lastly violating the agreement as before attacked and occupied pro-Pakistan rulers’ states of Hyderabad and Junagarh.

Following the occupation of Kashmir in 1947, India then in 1948, in collaboration a prominent ruler of Baluchistan had attacked Baluchistan from the soil of Afghanistan.

In reply, the Pakistan Army under command of Gen. Akbar Rangroot had repulsed the attack, captured all enemy-soldiers and presented them before Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Governor General of Pakistan.

In 1965 war between India and Pakistan inside the disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir, India had violated by attacking Pakistan at its international borders.

In 1971 then, the Government of Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi and it’s agencies, who in collaboration with their political agents and facilitators in East Pakistan had been operating for a long time attacked Pakistan, won the war and disintegrated it.

Following this glorious victory, Mrs. Indira Gandhi wasted no time, carried its first nuclear explosion and made India a Nuclear power.

The political leadership of Pakistan foreseeing and smelling the Indian future designs goals and their intentions against Pakistan, in spite of great hurdles had therefore decided to become Nuclear in its defense and deterrence against India.

Afterwards, the day Mr. Modi became the Prime Minister of India, he and fanatic Hindu extremist political parties known for their anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan stance and enmity, he has constantly been busy in brutally crushing the movement of self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir lasting for seventy long years. The defence forces of India are committing barbarism over local Muslim population, their massacre and gross human rights violations.

His government is also trying to change 35-A constitutional status of Kashmir. Mr. Modi, remember, India has lost Kashmir forever is written over the wall.

Regarding Mr. Modi’s policy for Pakistan, he has started a proxy war of terrorism inside Pakistan financially supporting the separatist movement in Baluchistan and trying to destroy its economy.

Moreover Mr. Modi has stopped water supply of Pakistan, necessary for its agriculture and has further threatened and vowed to convert Pakistan into desert, which is a very dangerous step.

Both the governments of India and Pakistan should remember that, no government of India shall ever have the political will or dare to solve core issue of Kashmir with Pakistan. Similarly, no government of Pakistan shall ever forget Kashmir issue and leave it alone.

Therefore, the chances of good relation between India and Pakistan are bleak. India claims itself to be the biggest democracy of the world shall have to solve the issues one day.

In spite of all challenges, however, it is encouraging that the majority of people on both sides have a great desire for the dialogue between India and Pakistan, solve their issues amicably, visit each other’s countries, exchange social functions and live amicably.

They also desire to revise their visa system and change insulting system of issuing visas to the public on both sides.

Visit any country of the world, you will find both people of India and Pakistan living peacefully, eating together, enjoying together and helping each other.

Lastly relating to visa availability for the citizens of both countries, in normal circumstances and routinely, a visa is issued by the embassy of every country to visit freely and move freely all over that country.

In case of India and Pakistan however, visa is issued not for the entire country but only for the cities, restricted to five cities, In addition , the citizens of both countries are bound to report their arrivals and departure every time to the police stations.

Is it not insulting for the citizens of both countries and shameful for both governments?

With the history of mistrust and growing tensions between India and Pakistan, the recent statement from Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has opened a new debate on whether or not atmosphere in Pakistan is conducive for holding peace talks between the two arch rivals.

After laying the foundation stone of the Kartarpur Corridor that would connect Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Kartarpur area of district Narowal to Dera Baba Nanak in India’s Gurdaspur district, Imran, had said that the Pakistan government, the political parties and the army — all are on the same page in wanting to establish a civilised relationship with India. He also said that Islamabad would move two steps forward if India takes one step, reiterating his statement from July.

 While the hardliners on both sides are not taking Imran's remarks seriously,  some believe that the Kartarpur Corridor opening had an ingredient of resumption of the stalled peace process, and has provided some reasons to argue over the prospects of peace between the two neighbours.

The optimists have termed Imran's remarks as one of the biggest confidence building measures for resumption of peace talks. They argue that the Pakistan prime minister's remarks are also important because they were made in the presence of Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. His presence shows that Imran's statement has the blessing of the military establishment, which has always remained a major stakeholder when it comes to Pakistan’s relations with India.