India-Pakistan Relations Issues Problems

8/19/2019 India-Pakistan Relations Issues Problems

1/19

ndia-Pakistan Relations: ssues, Problems and

Recent Developments

By T N Rao

ndia and Pakistan got independence in August !"#,

$ollo%ing a nationalist struggle lasting nearly t&ree

decades' t set a vital precedent $or t&e negotiated

%inding up o$ Britis& empires else%&ere'

(n$ortunately, it %as accompanied by t&e largest

mass migration in &uman &istory o$ some ) million'

As many as one million civilians died in t&e

accompanying riots and local-level $ig&ting,

particularly in t&e %estern region o$ Pun*ab %&ic&

%as cut in t%o by t&e border'

+n t&e basis o$ t%o nation t&eory, ndia divided into

t%o separate states - one %it& a uslim ma*ority

Pakistan. and t&e ot&er %it& a /indu ma*ority ndia.

is commonly seen as t&e outcome o$ con$lict bet%een

t&e nations0 elites'

A$ter Pakistan, ndia attained independence1 T&ere

&ave been some o$ t&e issues %&ic& impacts on ndia-

Pakistan relations' 2as&mir issue, %ater disputes,

terrorism, territorial disputes are main irritating

$actors in ndia-Pakistan relations'

3

Nuclear issues and 2argil %ar also played t&e role in

straining relations bet%een ndia and Pakistan'

4

2as&mir ssue:

n !"#, %&en Britis& ndia %as partitioned into ndia

and Pakistan, /ari 5ing&, a&ara*a o$ 2as&mir and


2/19

6ammu, uslim ma*ority state, resisted t&e pressure

to *oin eit&er Pakistan or ndia &oping to get

independence or autonomy $rom bot& countries'

a&ara*a /ari sing& signed a standstill agreement

%it& Pakistan on August 7, and tried to sign a similar

agreement %it& ndia' /o%ever, $ollo%ing t&e

declaration o$ independence, communal rioting took

place in Pun*ab bet%een t&e /indus, 5ik&s and

uslims %&en t&e state %as being divided bet%een

ndia and Pakistan' n 5eptember !"#, t&e rioting

spilled into 2as&mir against t&e uslims' At t&at time,

Pakistan tried to occupy 2as&mir by $orce, sent its

military troops into 2as&mir'

a&ara*a /ari 5ing& soug&t ndia8s military

assistance, but ndia re$used to &elp unless t&e

a&ara*a& signed t&e instrument o$ accession, a

standard procedure under %&ic& ot&er princely states

&ad acceded to ndia or Pakistan' ndia agreed to t&e

accession a$ter receiving t&e consent o$ 5&eik&

Abdulla&, t&e secular and popular leader o$ t&e

National 9on$erence N9. in t&e state'

/ari 5ing& signed t&e accord on +ctober 3# and on

t&e same day ndian armed $orces entered 2as&mir to

protect to it' ndian troops protected $rom t&e

Pakistani troops t&en 2as&mir became as part o$

ndia'

+n 6anuary , !", ndia8s Prime inister 6a%a&arlal

Ne&ru $ollo%ing t&e advice o$ Britis& ;overnor

;eneral


3/19

called $or a peace$ul settlement o$ disputes bet%een

ndia and Pakistan,'

+n 6anuary 3), !", t&e 5ecurity 9ouncil

establis&ed a t&ree-member (N commission on ndia

and Pakistan (N9 P. to send t&em to 2as&mir to

investigate t&e situation and e>ercise mediation' +n

April 3, t&e 9ouncil e>panded t&e commission to $ive

and aut&ori?ed it to restore peace and arrange $or a

plebiscite a$ter t&e %it&dra%al o$ tribal troops'

T&e (N9 P on August 4, !" passed a resolution

t&at bot& on ndia and Pakistan to conduct a

plebiscite a$ter t&ey agreed to a cease-$ire and a$ter

Pakistan8s regular troops and tribesmen %ere

completely %it&dra%n' T&e cease-$ire came into

e$$ect on 6anuary , !"!, %&ile Pakistan %as still in

control o$ one-t&ird o$ t&e state' Based on its

resolution o$ August 4, !", t&e (N9 P sent a

onitoring ;roup $or ndia and Pakistan (N; P. to

t&e region on 6anuary 3", to monitor t&e cease-$ire

line 9@


4/19

negotiate a demilitari?ation plan in consultation %it&

ndia and Pakistan' Pakistan agreed to simultaneous

demilitari?ation but ndia re*ected'

+n arc& ", !=), t&e 5ecurity 9ouncil passed

anot&er resolution to $ollo% up on cNaug&ton8s

proposals and appointed t&e noted Australian *udge,

5ir +%en Di>on, as (N representative to replace t&e

(N9 P' n 5eptember !=), Di>on suggested a

proposal limiting t&e plebiscite only to t&e 2as&mir

alley o$ t&e predominantly uslim population, %&ic&

bot& countries re*ected'

n April !=, t&e 9ouncil appointed Dr' @rank ;ra&am,

$ormer (5 5enator, as (N representative' Bet%een

December != and @ebruary !=4, ;ra&am tried to

convince bot& ndia and Pakistan to accept &is

5ecretary 9ouncil-supported demilitari?ation

proposals t&at reuired t&e reduction o$ t&e military

presence o$ bot& countries in 2as&mir and A?ad

2as&mir preceding t&e conduct o$ a plebiscite'

Ne&ru and Pakistan8s Prime inister, o&ammed Ali

Bogra, met in 6une !=4 at t&e common%ealt&

con$erence in


5/19

along t&e Cest Pakistan ndia border' n August

$ig&ting spread to 2as&mir and to t&e Pun*ab, and in

5eptember Pakistani and ndian troops crossed t&e

partition line bet%een t&e t%o countries and launc&ed

air assaults on eac& ot&er0s cities' A$ter t&reats o$

intervention by 9&ina &ad been success$ully opposed

by t&e (nited 5tates and Britain, Pakistan and ndia

agreed to a (N-sponsored cease-$ire and %it&dre% to

t&e pre-August lines' Prime inister 5&ri


6/19

A$ter Pakistani troops invaded 2as&mir, ndia took t&e

2as&mir dispute to (nited Nations to reprise its role

in t&e @irst ndia-Pakistan Car and end t&e con$lict'

T&e 5ecurity 9ouncil passed Resolution 3 on

5eptember 3) calling $or an end to t&e $ig&ting and

negotiations on t&e settlement o$ t&e 2as&mir

problem, and t&e (nited 5tates and t&e (nited

2ingdom supported t&e (N decision by cutting o$$

arms supplies to bot& belligerents' T&is ban a$$ected

bot& belligerents, but Pakistan $elt t&e e$$ects more

keenly since it &ad a muc& %eaker military in

caparison to ndia' T&e (N resolution and t&e &alting

o$ arms sales &ad an immediate impact' ndia

accepted t&e cease$ire on 5eptember 3 and Pakistan

on 5eptember 33'

T&e cease$ire could not resolve t&e status o$ 2as&mir,

and bot& sides accepted t&e 5oviet (nion as a t&ird-

party mediator' Negotiations in Tas&kent concluded in

6anuary !77, %it& bot& sides giving up territorial

claims, %it&dra%ing t&eir armies $rom t&e disputed

territory' Nevert&eless, alt&oug& t&e Tas&kent

agreement ac&ieved its s&ort-term aims, con$lict in

5out& Asia %ould reignite a $e% years later'

T& e ndia-Pakistani Car o$ !#

ilitary con$lict took t&e place bet%een ndia and

Pakistan during t&e ndia-pakistan %ar o$ !#' ndia

played t&e great role in t&e Banglades& ndependence'

(5 supported to Pakistan but not played t&e active

role in during t&e %ar period because ndia and (55R


7/19

signed t&e $riends&ip treaty in !#' During t&is %ar,

some o$ t&e East Pakistan people migrated to ndia

'/o%ever, @res& $rom a victory in t&e !# %ar, ndira

;and&i signed t&e 5imla Agreement %it& Pakistan

Prime inister Ful$ikar Ali B&utto, aiming to Gput an

end to t&e con$lict and con$rontationG and maintain

t&e line o$ control t&at resulted $rom t&e cease$ire o$

!#' B&utto promised &e %ould persuade &is people

to accept its conversion into t&e international border'

ndia insisted t&e t%o nations %ould settle t&eir

di$$erences Gby peace$ul means t&roug& bilateral

negotiationsG'

"

T&e ndia- Pakistan %ar ended %it&

simla agreement'

5iac&en ;lacier

5iac&en ;lacier, #km long and one o$ t&e %orld0s

largest glaciers, is situated in t&e nort& o$ t&e

disputed region o$ 2as&mir'T&is is a land seen by only

determined mountaineers or adventurers, a place t&at

can test &uman endurance against t&e rigours o$ &ig&

altitude and turbulent terrain' But t&is is also t&e

%orlds &ig&est battleground, %&ere t%o nuclear

armed states are locked in a struggle to keep a

$oot&old at &eig&ts o$ 7#)) metres'

ndia claims t&at t&e entire state o$ 6H2 including

Nort&ern Areas acceded to ndia on 37 +ct !"#'

+ccupation o$ 5altoro is t&ere$ore occupation o$


8/19

ndian territory by t&e ndian Army' t is non-

negotiable'

ndia8s stand t&at cartograp&ic aggression by Pak must

cease' any Pak Atlases s&o% 5iac&en as part o$

Pakistan' ndia agrees to establis&ment o$ a

demilitari?ed ?one in 5iac&en' /o%ever be$ore t&e

modalities begin, e>c&ange o$ maps in %&ic&

deployment o$ troops on Actual ;round Position c&anged'

;round rules to govern $uture military operations in t&is

area must be $ormed'Redeployment o$ $orces to mutually

agreed position s&ould t&erea$ter take place'

=

5ir 9reek

T&e 5ir 9reek is a !7 km 7) mi. strip o$ %ater disputed

bet%een ndia and Pakistan in t&e Rann o$ 2utc&

mars&lands' T&e creek, %&ic& opens up into t&e Arabian

5ea, divides t&e 2utc& region o$ t&e ndian state o$

;u*arat %it& t&e 5ind& province o$ Pakistan'

T&e dispute lies in t&e interpretation o$ t&e maritime

boundary line bet%een 2utc& and 5ind&' Be$ore ndia0s

independence, t&e provincial region %as a part o$

Bombay Presidency o$ Britis& ndia' A$ter ndia0s

independence in !"#, 5ind& became a part o$

Pakistan %&ile 2utc& remained a part o$ ndia'

Pakistan lays claim to t&e entire creek as per paras !

and ) o$ t&e Bombay ;overnment Resolution o$ !"


9/19

signed bet%een t&en t&e ;overnment o$ 5ind& and

Rao a&ara* o$ 2utc&'

7

Cater disputes:

Pakistan claims t&at ndia is stealing %ater t&at is

rapidly becoming t&e Icore issueJ in t&e Pakistani

establis&ment8s narrative about bilateral problems'

Pakistan blames ndia, saying it is %it&&olding

millions o$ cubic $eet o$ %ater upstream on t&e

9&enab in ndian-administered 2as&mir and storing it

in t&e massive Bagli&ar dam in order to produce

&ydro-electricity' ts ndian neig&bour, Pakistan

declares, is in breac& o$ a !7) treaty designed to

administer %ater use in t&e region'

T&e ndus Caters Treaty !7) %as signed on

!')!'!7) bet%een ndia and Pakistan' t is &o%ever

came into $orce $rom )')"'!7)'

(nder t&e Treaty, t&e %aters o$ Eastern Rivers are

allocated to ndia' ndia is under obligation to let $lo%

t&e %aters o$ t&e Cestern Rivers e>cept $or t&e

$ollo%ing uses:

#

a. Domestic (se,

b. Non-consumptive use,

c. Agricultural use as speci$ied,

d. ;eneration o$ &ydro-electric po%er as speci$ied


10/19

9onstruction o$ Bagli&ar Dam, Tulbul Navigation

pro*ect became contentious issues bet%een bot&

countries'

Energy 9ooperation

:

T&ere can be cooperation bet%een bot& countries in

t&e name o$ ran-Pakistan- ndia pipeline' Pakistan,

ndia are interested in t&is pro*ect'

ran-Pakistan- ndia P . pipeline pro*ect also called

peace pipeline. %as aimed at constructing a ,73)-

mile 3#)) km. pipeline $rom ran0s 5out& Pars $ields

in t&e Persian ;ul$ to Pakistan0s ma*or cities o$

2arac&i and ultan and t&en $urt&er to Del&i, ndia' n

ay 3))!, ran and Pakistan signed an initial

agreement $or a (5D #'=bn ran-Pakistan- ndia gas

pipeline''

T&e P pro*ect &as not $inali?ed because t&ere is

some problems $or ndia in terms o$ &ig& pricing issue

%it& iran'

T&ere is proposal $or constructing t&e TAP

pipeline inspite o$ P pipeline'

Terrorism

Terrorism remains our ndia8s concern in t&e

relations&ip %it& Pakistan and &as been repeatedly

raised %it& Pakistan, including at t&e &ig&est level,

%&ereby ndia &as consistently urged Pakistan to

$ul$ill its repeated assurance given to us not to allo%

t&e territory under its control to be used $or


11/19

supporting terrorism directed against us or $or any

ot&er anti- ndia activity' ore recently, during t&e

meeting o$ P %it& P ;ilani in aldives November

), 3).,P underlined our concerns regarding

terrorism and stressed t&at it %as imperative to bring

t&e perpetrators o$ t&e umbai attack to *ustice'

During t&e meeting %it& President o$ Pakistan Asi$ Ali

Fardari in Ne% Del&i on April , 3)3, P told

President Fardari t&at t&ere %as need $or taking $irm

action to curb terrorism to enable us to make $or%ard

movement in bilateral relations&ip' P conveyed t&at

it %as imperative to bring t&e perpetrators o$ t&e

umbai attack to *ustice and prevent activities aimed

against ndia $rom Pakistani soil' n t&is conte>t, &e

mentioned t&e activities o$ /a$i? 5aeed carried out in

public' Pakistan &as been speci$ically reuested to

take action against anti- ndia terrorist out$its suc& as


12/19

9ourt up&eld t&e contention o$ t&e de$ence t&at t&e

report o$ t&e 6udicial 9ommission %as not legal and

could not $orm part o$ t&e case, since t&e %itnesses

%ere not cross-e>amined' T&e reuest o$ Pakistan

aut&orities to allo% anot&er visit o$ t&e 9ommission to

ndia $or cross-e>amining t&e $our %itnesses

mentioned above is under consideration o$ t&e ndian

aut&orities'

Narco tics 9ontrol and +rganised 9rime

@ollo%ing talks bet%een Director ;enerals o$

Narcotics 9ontrol Bureau o$ ndia and t&e Anti-

Narcotics @orce o$ Pakistan in slamabad on

5eptember 3-4, 3), t&e t%o sides signed a

emorandum o$ (nderstanding on LDrug Demand

Reduction and Prevention o$ llicit Tra$$icking in

Narcotics DrugsK Psyc&otropic 5ubstances and

Precursor 9&emicals and related matters8 $or

en&ancing mutual cooperation t&roug& e$$ective and

sustained steps to control t&e gro%ing menace o$

drug tra$$icking'

n t&eir meeting in ay 3)3, t&e /omeK nterior

5ecretaries o$ t&e t%o countries decided, in principle,

to initiate negotiations on a utual


13/19

As mentioned earlier, bilateral trade &ad bene$ited

$rom t&e 9omposite Dialogue process %&ic& &ad

begun in 3))"' /o%ever, it declined a$ter t&e umbai

terror attack' n t&e $inancial year 3))- t&e

bilateral trade %as (5D 3'7# billion, %it& ndia8s

e>ports to Pakistan %ort& (5D 3'44 billion'

T&e visit o$ t&e 5enior @ederal inister o$ 9ommerce

o$ Pakistan ak&dom u&amad Ameen @a&im to ndia

$rom 3!t& 5eptember to 4rd +ctober 3) %as t&e

$irst suc& visit a$ter a gap o$ 4= years' During t&e

visit, &e met t&e ndian inister $or 9ommerce and

ndustry, called on Prime inister and addressed *oint

ndia-Pakistan business sessions organi?ed by t&e

@ederation o$ ndian 9&ambers o$ 9ommerce and

ndustry @ 99 . in umbai and Del&i' Bot& sides

agreed to *ointly %ork $or more t&an doubling bilateral

trade %it&in t&ree years $rom t&e current level o$ (5D

3'# billion' T&e sides also agreed to cooperate on

pre$erential trade relations under t&e $rame%ork o$

t&e 5out& Asia @ree Trade Agreement 5A@TA.' T&e

t%o inisters mandated t&e 9ommerce 5ecretaries to

pursue %it& vigour t&e task o$ $ully normali?ing

bilateral trade relations, dismantle all non-tari$$

barriers, $ull implementation o$ 5A@TA obligations and

prepare t&e roadmap $or grater pre$erential trading

arrangements bet%een ndia and Pakistan'

T&e visit o$ t&e 9ommerce, ndustry and Te>tiles

inister 5&ri Anand 5&arma to Pakistan $rom 4-#

@ebruary 3)3 %as t&e $irst ever bilateral visit o$ an


14/19

ndian 9ommerce inister to Pakistan' T&e inister

%as accompanied by a ))-strong delegation o$ senior

captains and representatives o$ ndia8s trade and

industry segments' /e presided over t&e closing o$

L ndia 5&o%8 t&e $irst ever ndia-speci$ic trade

e>&ibition in Pakistan - in


15/19

ndia &as been consistently taking up %it&

;overnment o$ Pakistan, at all appropriate levels, t&e

issue concerning all ndian prisoners, including

$is&ermen, in Pakistani *ails or under t&e custody o$

Pakistan aut&orities' 5teps &ave been taken to

implement t&e understanding reac&ed bet%een t&e

/omeK nterior 5ecretaries o$ t&e t%o countries in

arc& 3) $or releasing %it&out delay t&e $is&ermen

and civilian prisoners %&o complete t&eir sentence,

%&ose nationality &as been con$irmed by t&e

respective government and %&ose travel documents

&ave been received' n t&eir meeting in ay 3)3,

/omeK nterior 5ecretaries agreed to release suc&

$is&ermen, along %it& t&eir boats, and to trans$er to

c&aritable institutions in t&e respective country t&ose

prisoners %&ose nationality status &as not been

con$irmed due to eit&er lack o$ in$ormation or

disabilities o$ t&e prisoner concerned' Talks %ere &eld

bet%een t&e Director ;eneral o$ t&e ndian 9oast

;uard and t&e Director ;eneral o$ t&e Pakistan

aritime 5ecurity Agency in Ne% Del&i in 6uly 3)3

%it& t&e vie% to set up a mec&anism $or t&e release o$

inadvertent crossers $is&ermen. and t&eir boats on

t&e same lines as inadvertent crossers on land'

ndia-Pakistan 6udicial 9ommittee on Prisoners,

consisting o$ $our retired *udges $rom eac& side, &as

been active in recommending steps $or &umane

treatment and e>peditious release o$ prisoners o$

eac& country in t&e ot&ers8 *ailK custody, and adoption

o$ a &umane approac& in dealing %it& cases o$


16/19

$is&ermen and prisoners, especially %omen, elderly,

*uvenile, and t&ose terminally ill or su$$ering $rom

serious illness or p&ysical K mental disability' embers

o$ t&e 9ommittee visited Pakistan $rom April -34,

3) and visited *ails in 2arac&i, Ra%alpindi and

c&ange o$ notes

bet%een t&e t%o countries' /omeK nterior 5ecretaries

&ad decided in arc& 3) to set up 6C; on isa

related issues' T&e 6C; &as since $inalised a mutually

agreed te>t o$ t&e Agreement' t is yet to be signed'

n order to $acilitate travel bet%een t&e t%o countries,

di$$erent train and bus services run bet%een t&e t%o

countries' T&e train services in operation bet%een

ndia and Pakistan are i. 5am*&auta E>press

bi%eekly, %it& termini in


17/19

trains1 and ii. %eekly T&ar E>press $rom unabao-

ndia to Fero Point Rail%ay 5tation near 2&okrapar

Pakistan' Bus services run bet%een ndia and

Pakistan on t&e $ollo%ing routes: Del&i-cept 5unday., Amritsar-


18/19


19/19

1 References

Inventing Boundaries: gender, politics and the Partition of Indiaedited by Mushirul Hasan (New

Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2000

2 htt!:""www#!ildat#or$"!ubli%ations"!ubli%ation"&P"Pa'istanndia)elations*+nndianNarrative#!df

htt!:""www#iosr-ournals#or$"iosr*-hss"!a!ers".ol2*issue"/02010#!df

htt!:""indiatoday#intoday#in"story"1342*silver*-ubilee*of*inde!enden%e*si5la*

a$ree5ent"1"166647#ht5l

6 htt!:""www#indiandefen%ereview#%o5"s!otli$hts"strate$i%*i5!ortan%e*of*sia%hen"

htt!:""defen%eforu5india#%o5"foru5"defen%e*strate$i%*issues"14*sir*%ree'*dis!ute*between*

india*!a'istan#ht5l

4 Ministry of 8ater )esour%es, 9overn5ent of ndia# htt!:""wr5in#ni%#in"index#as!

sslid;

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India-Pakistan Relations Issues Problems