At a time the South Asia economies are struggling to cope with chaos and crisis, the Indian government has started war hysteria in the region, causing disappointment for the potential investors as well as for the international community. There are 466 million people in India who are living below the poverty line and over 600 million do not have access to toilet. Poverty is deep rooted in India where generations have passed who have spent their lives on footpaths and there are millions of others who eke out a meagre existence. Their lives are worse than animals, but the Indian government is bent upon not only spoiling the peace but also the economies of the region. Saarc was the best forum to resolve economic, political and regional disputes, but India has made it ineffective. Saarc could have been utilized to enhance business and cooperation among the countries in the region but it is now virtually dead. The Pakistani government should withdraw itself from the dead forum and make a new body involving China and Iran in it. The new setup should concentrate on business and economy rather than conflicts and issues.
The Indian government attitude has dismayed the world community which is calling for a negotiated settlement of the Kashmir dispute. Peace in the region is threatened by Indian state terrorism in the occupied Kashmir and any escalation of hostilities will be disastrous not only for the region but also for the world. As Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said in his address to the joint session of parliament that bullets are not the solution to the problems. India has so far failed to adopt any realistic approach and is in a state denial. It does not want to discuss Kashmir issue which is the bone of contention between the two countries. A better economic and trade relations between Pakistan and India are not possible until the Kashmir issue is resolved. The Indian state terrorism is continuing in Kashmir and a day is no far off when Kashmiris will stop taking out peaceful protests and will take up arms against the Indian army. The situation needs political solution and once civil war started, no one will be able to stop it and not only entire India, but the regional countries will also be affected by the chaos. It is the time India should come out of hibernation and obstipation to give serious consideration to the Kashmir problem. When the presence of 700,000 troops could not suppress the voice of Kashmiris, how it is hoping that the uprising will be subsided with the passage of time.
The UN Security Council and the world powers should encourage India to come to the negotiating table and give the Kashmiris right to self-determination. Otherwise, economies of Pakistan and India will be ultimate casualties.
