News Analysis |
Both the governments of Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Indian Occupied Kashmir came together in a seldom seen level of collaboration to expedite the return of a woman’s body. Both civilian and military officials from both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) facilitated the relocation of a woman’s body from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) to India-held Kashmir within 12 hours of her death here on Thursday.
The deceased was Salima Begum, who was in her early 60s and hailed from Sopore. She arrived on a visit to Muzaffarabad along with her spouse Ghulam Hassan Pandit on Oct 2. They had arrived through the Chakothi-Uri crossing point to offer condolences on the death of her brother-in-law, Khawaja Muhammad Yousuf Zargar, who was once a key leader of a pro-independence political group.
The collaboration shown over the return of Mrs. Salima can be used as a foundation block in normalizing the Pak-India relationship. It can also be a source of relief for the sundered families that inhabit both sides of Kashmir
The couple was stranded because of suspension of trade and travel activities this week owing to Diwali holidays across the LoC. In such cases, it normally takes between 24 and 48 hours to send a body back to the other side of the divide due to the involvement of procedural complications. Yet in this case, the rare cooperation between both sides led to the swift return of the deceased alongside her husband.
Read more: 1000s of pictures prove India commits war crimes in Kashmir
The region of Kashmir is a flashpoint between the two nuclear-armed powers of South Asia. The dispute began when during the partition of the British occupied subcontinent, the refusal of the area’s hereditary ruler Hari Singh to comply with his people’s wishes led to a rebellion. Faced with losing his fiefdom to a people’s army aided by tribesman from across the border, the ruler acquiesced to India in return for military aid. This led to a war between newly found India and Pakistan and later on the division of Kashmir into Azad Kashmir and IOK.
The dispute began when during the partition of the British occupied subcontinent, the refusal of the area’s hereditary ruler Hari Singh to comply with his people’s wishes led to a rebellion
Kashmir has since then been a cause of two wars between the two nations. The IOK has been a major source of violence and brutality since its occupation by India. The recent wave of unrest linked to the Kashmiri right of self-determination, agreed upon by India, was instigated by the death of Burhan Wani, a rebel leader fighting Indian occupying forces. Since then, IOK has seen an increased level of brutality by Indian forces such as torture and pellet firings and also a new reason behind a new dip in Indo-Pak relations.
Historically, while Kashmir has been the focal point of hostility between the two embittered rivals, it has also been the Centre point of reconciliation between the two nations. The Kashmir Bus service which runs between Muzzafarabad and Srinagar is a case in point. The bus runs a distance of 170 kilometers and was officially launched on April 7, 2005, and was flagged-off by the Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.
Read more: Kashmiri civilians terrorized by LoC shellings
The Indian official position viewed the bus service as a “humanitarian measure without prejudice” and not affecting the rival policies and stands of the two governments on the Kashmir conflict
The Indian official position viewed the bus service as a “humanitarian measure without prejudice” and not affecting the rival policies and stands of the two governments on the Kashmir conflict. Both governments announced that the bus service could be used by Indian and Pakistani citizens wishing to travel anywhere in Indian Kashmir and Pakistani Kashmir, including the Northern Areas of Pakistan.
It can, therefore, be assumed that the key to peace in the subcontinent is the dispute of Kashmir. The collaboration shown over the return of Mrs. Salima can be used as a foundation block in normalizing the Pak-India relationship. It can also be a source of relief for the sundered families that inhabit both sides of Kashmir.