Can we talk about a possible solution for Kashmir?
Look at the history of Germans. Bismarck worked hard on uniting Germany and making it a nation. And then, Germans fought with France and got Alsace-Lorraine as a part of their country. From then on France and Germany had been at logger-heads. While majority of people in France are catholics, majority of people in Alsace-Lorraine are protestants and Germans are also mostly protestants. Then came world War 1, in which at the end of the war, French got back Alsace-Lorraine and Germany was totally humiliated. In the peace treaty at the end of the war, France made the harshest clauses against Germany. Later we know Hitler captured Alsace-Lorraine. And at the end of WWII , Alsace-Lorrraine again became part of France and Germany was divided.
After that Germans had the option of carrying on offensive in Alsace-Lorraine. But did they do that? They worked hard on improving themselves. They also decided to work with France to form European Union and now France and Germany work together. Alsace-Lorraine issue is no important. A fact to be noted is a lot of lives were lost during the period French and Germans fought with each other - much more than in the case of Kashmir issue.
Why not this solution work in our area? During 1983, India, Pakistan, England and Australia made claims to host the next Cricket world cup. Air Marshal Nur Khan, the then PCB secretary made talks with Indian cricket board president, 'Why not India and Pakistan make a joint bid to host the next World cup? if both of us make individual claims, we will only split the votes going to India and Pak for their bids."
Why not what he said apply in the national level? Pak and India can work together to improve the condition of the people in both the countries. Carrying offensive to liberate Kashmiris is going to harm Kashmir, Pakistan and India. But India and Pakistan can work together to form a South-Asian union in which we can hope Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar could join. All these countries can direct their energy to improve economically. and that is the only way things in Kashmir could also be improved.
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