Leave PoK to Pakistan and J&K to India: Husain Haqqani on how to ensure peace

Islamabad: Husain Haqqani, former Pakistani ambassador to the United Nations, has advocated that neither India nor Pakistan should interfere or worry about events that are taking place in the parts of Kashmir being ruled by them respectively.

Amid protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) over alleged rigging of elections in favour of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's PML(N), Haqqani said the problems emanating from Gilgistan and PoK should be left to Pakistan to be taken care of, while the part of Kashmir that India has, should be handled by them alone.

Only then it is possible to have some peace in Kashmir, he asserted.

“I have heard that some people have complaints with regards to PoK that the elections did not take place as expected. But, I think that the problems emanating from Gilgistan and PoK should be left to Pakistan and the part of Kashmir that India has, should be handled by them alone, then there can be some peace in Kashmir,” he told news agency ANI.

He also conceded that the internal situation in Pakistan is not conducive for the two nations to have any meaningful dialogue.

“I don’t think that Pakistan’s internal political condition is that stable so as to allow any leader to ensure cordial relationship between India and Pakistan,” he stated.

Commenting on Prime Minister Sharif's remarks describing Kashmir as ‘unfinished agenda’ of the United Nations, Haqqani said, “If someone says that something is an ‘unfinished business’, so they should remember that Kashmir is an unfinished business for last 69 years and will remain so for another 69 years and no further action would take place.”

“I believe that it would be better if India and Pakistan should first try to be friends and then talk about their disagreements. But as of now, it doesn’t seem to be happening. As far as terrorists and people like Hafiz Saeed are concerned, I believe that they can only increase hatred and cannot increase Pakistan’s prosperity and happiness,” Haqqani said.

“Similarly, if in India, some people say that only enmity with Pakistan is the only solution, then also it would not benefit the bilateral relationship of both the countries. I think all the disagreements should be kept aside and emphasis should be put on friendship,” he added.