Says Peace in J&K Impossible Unless Pakistan Changes Policy
Suhail Khan
Jammu, Feb 05 (VP/WS): Baramulla legislator Javid Hassan Baigh on Wednesday asserted that Pakistan’s state policy of pushing infiltrators and fostering violence is the fundamental challenge to peace in Jammu and Kashmir, stating that expecting a constructive role from Islamabad is “extremely difficult and near-impossible.”
Speaking ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s scheduled visit to the Union Territory, the lawmaker said the recent surge in militant activities in the Jammu region is a direct manifestation of this adversarial “strategic policy.”
“Pakistan is a neighbour, and you cannot change your neighbours. But its policy regarding Jammu and Kashmir is clear — to create instability,” Baigh told The Web Story/The Varmul Post on the sidelines of the Budget session in Jammu. He dismissed any expectation that Pakistan would allow circumstances in the region to normalize.
He pointed to the terrain as a key factor facilitating infiltration. “The Jammu belt has a mountain range. This is part of Pakistan’s strategic policy. Even with round-the-clock monitoring, stopping infiltration completely is not possible. Their people keep entering and creating these problems,” Baigh said, emphasizing that the nation must remain in a state of permanent preparedness.
The MLA called for a singularly focused and aggressive security approach to “crush the nefarious designs” of elements that, he said, operate on an agenda promoted from across the border to destabilize the region and the country.
While acknowledging a “visible peace” in Kashmir, Baigh linked the continued external threat to the need for internal political engagement. He urged the Government of India to walk alongside local stakeholders who believe in Indian democracy and secularism, rather than sidelining them. (WS/VP)
