CHOICE BEFORE PAKISTAN

CHOICE BEFORE PAKISTAN feasible, it’s better to accept what’s practical. This aligns with what Islam teaches. The Quran states: “Reconciliation is best” (4:128). In other words, in disputes, the most effective approach is to seek compromise—instead of engaging in conflict, choose peace. The idea of accepting the status quo and building long-term relationships on that basis is not new. During Jawaharlal Nehru’s time, both governments reportedly agreed to this proposal. Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah even traveled to Pakistan as a mediator between the two sides. However, Nehru’s sudden death prevented this historic plan from being carried out. By 1956, Nehru had publicly proposed a settlement of Kashmir with Pakistan over the ceasefire line, now known as the LoC. On May 23, 1964, Nehru asked Sheikh Abdullah to meet Ayyub Khan in Rawalpindi in an attempt to resolve the Kashmir dispute. The Pakistani leader agreed to a summit with Nehru scheduled for June 1964. This message was urgently telegraphed to Nehru on May 26. However, just as Nehru’s consent reached Karachi, news arrived that Nehru had died in his sleep. With that, a major opportunity for a peaceful resolution of Kashmir was also lost. (Hindustan Times, June 18, 2001) If Pakistan accepts the current status of Kashmir as a permanent arrangement, neither Pakistan nor, more