International Workshop: “Kashmir: Looking Beyond the Peril” (NDU Islamabad: 27-28 January 2014) National Defence University Islamabad RECORD(29 OF May PROCEEDINGS 2012) Institute for Strategic Studies; Research and Analysis (ISSRA) National Defence University Islamabad International Workshop: “Kashmir: Looking Beyond the Peril” (NDU Islamabad: 27-28 January 2014) National Defence University Islamabad Sponsor Ambassador(29 May Arif2012 Kamal) Director Global Studies-ISSRA Chief Rapporteur Dr. Shaheen Akhtar Associate Professor, IR-FCS This compilation is based on inputs made by a team of rapporteurs headed by Dr. Shaheen Akhtar. The team included Lt Col Manzoor Ahmed Abbassi (ISSRA), Ms. Asma Shakir Khwaja (PCS-FCS), Ms. Maria Effandi (PCS-FCS), Ms. Arshi Saleem Hashmi (PCS-FCS), Ms. Nargis Zahra (IR-FCS), Lt Col Muhammad Rafique (ISSRA) and Dr. Rizwana Abassi (SNS-FCS). The editorial team included Research Associates Mr. Muhammad Shabbir and Ms Beenish Sultan. INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP: “KASHMIR: LOOKING BEYOND THE PERIL” POST WORKSHOP REPORT CONTENTS Page # Foreword Preface An Overview of the Workshop: Executive Summary - Thematic Focus - Participation and Profile - A summary of deliberations - Findings Theme: Concept note Summary Record of Proceedings - Inauguration - Plenary Session 1 - Plenary Session 2 - Concurrent Academic Sessions - Plenary Session 3 Annexes - Annex A: Program - Annex B: Speakers: Profiles and Abstracts - Annex C: Welcome Address by President NDU - Annex D: Chief Guest‘s Inaugural Address - Annex E: Remarks by President AJK at the Plenary 3/wrap up session Foreword More than six and a half decade have passed since Kashmir was first debated at the United Nations and Kashmiri people were promised the right to decide their destiny. The dispute continues to elude a solution while the nation-states in the region have journeyed through spells of war and of ‗no war, no peace‘. The disputed state continues to unfold popular eruptions. It remains a critical barrier in the normalization of inter-state relations in South Asia, hampering the region‘s move towards sustainable security and greater economic growth. The centrality of Kashmir dispute in the security matrix of South Asia can be gauged from the impact of human dynamics over the broader regional environment and no less important, from the nuclearization of the region. A two-day international workshop on Kashmir (NDU: 27-28 January) was a welcome opportunity for us to assemble a galaxy of scholars and policy-relevant experts and to deliberate upon the issue in a conflict transformation mode. It was a well-timed initiative as the South Asian region is witnessing important transitions. Our energies were thus converged on search for a constructive approach to move forward and look beyond Kashmir‘s current peril. I commend the efforts of all those who converged to this deliberative forum and made scholarly inputs on various aspects of the issue. I also laud the efforts of ISSRA and its organizing team whose hard work and dedication made the workshop successful. Lieutenant General Javed Iqbal President National Defence University (NDU) April 2014 1 Preface The two-day international workshop on ―Kashmir: looking beyond the peril‖, held at our campus on 27-28 January, reconfirmed the centrality Kashmir issue for the peace and security in South Asian region and beyond, and for the region‘s economic growth. The exercise also flagged the overriding significance of human dynamics in the unresolved situation and of neuclearization as an imperative for peace. Needless to say, that an amicable solution of Kashmir dispute, consistent with the Kashmiri people‘s aspirations holds key to a way forward. The deliberations on our campus unfolded a diversity of views though all converging that human dynamics of the disputed state have an inevitable impact on the regional environment and therefore, cannot be side-tracked while emphasizing the need for economic growth and nuclear responsibility. In this backdrop, the deliberations crystallized new ideas and flagged the importance of innovative approaches to build structures of peace. This compilation is a summary record of two days‘ workshop held at NDU campus. it also carries major findings of the exercise. It is my earnest hope that this will be the one more stimulant for a constructive discussion on various aspects of the issue and serve as a useful reference material for us all. Major General Noel I. Khokhar Director General, Institute for Strategic Studies; Research and Analysis (ISSRA) March 2014 2 An Overview of the Workshop Record of Proceedings International Workshop: “KASHMIR: LOOKING BEYOND THE PERIL” (NDU Islamabad: 27-28 January 2014) A two-day international workshop on Kashmir: Looking beyond the Peril was organized by NDU on 27-28 January 2014. The main focus of the workshop was to revisit various dimensions of Kashmir dispute from conflict transformation perspective and locate the primacy of rights of people in the resolution process. It was participated by leading international and national scholars and experts. The workshop comprised of three plenaries and four breakout academic sessions. The plenaries covered: ‗the nature of Kashmir dispute: human dynamics vs territoriality‘; ‗quest for sustainable peace in South Asia: a review in the backdrop of people‘s aspirations, nuclear responsibility and economic growth‘; and ‗approaches to unknotting the issue‘. The four academic sessions run in parallel focused on ‗CBMs and beyond‘; ‗nontraditional security challenges‘; ‗Kashmir: abridge for economic rejuvenation‘ and the role of ‗media in Kashmir conflict‘. The work plan (Annex A) catered for an exhaustive interactive discussion in each session. The deliberations were enriching and free from rhetoric. The exercise catered for diversity of views while retaining focus on our principled position to uphold Kashmiri people‘s right to self determination. THEMATIC FOCUS The two-day deliberative exercise rested upon premise that Kashmir remains a critical factor in the way of achieving sustainable peace and harmony in South Asia. The unresolved dispute runs in tandem with a nuclearized environment and therefore, serves as a warner against any flashpoint. The one-fifth of humanity living in this region has long awaited a conflict-free setting that would move the wheel of economic growth and bring prosperity. Concurrently however, the unresolved situation relates to Kashmiri people‘s right to make a choice about their own destiny and therefore, human dynamics play a central role in the triangle. In a nutshell, a sustainable solution must rest upon acknowledgement of Kashmiri people‘s primacy and their participation in the peace process. PARTICIPATION & PROFILE 3 The workshop was serviced by a galaxy of experts and scholars from home and abroad. A complete list of chairs (five) and speakers/presenters (eighteen) is placed at Annex B. This also carries their profiles and abstracts. The participants from abroad included experts/scholars from across the globe including China, Turkey, Qatar, UK, US, Australia and India. Besides, three scholars from Indian side of Jammu and Kashmir participated in the workshop. The workshop was a mega event from the standpoint of participation (a turnout of 500 people at one time) from a cross section of academia, civil society, political figures, diplomats, course participants and students. This evoked considerable interest and coverage in the Indian media. However, compared with the scale and quality of the endeavor, our national media gave scanty and rather ineffective attention to the event. DELIBERATIONS: A SUMMARY Three plenaries over two-day deliberations were geared in a sequential order, ranging from genesis of the dispute to the imperatives for a constructive and responsible change. From these two keys, the discussion moved towards possible approaches for unknotting the dispute. On the sidelines, there was an expert treatment of academic issues run in four parallel sessions. The re-visitation of various dimensions of Kashmir dispute over two-days, carried an accent on the primacy of Kashmiri people as the principal party in the triangle. It was argued that genesis of the dispute rested upon people‘s right to make a choice and thus human dynamics, not territoriality, remained at the core of the unresolved situation and its fallout on the broader region. Kashmir therefore, remains a critical factor in the way of achieving sustainable peace. A solution that would last must therefore, rest upon acknowledgement of native people‘s aspirations and their participation in the peace process. In regard to imperatives for a change, it was argued that war is no more an option for either India or Pakistan in the way of a settlement. The contemporary issues in South Asia relate to nuclear responsibility and need for economic growth. However, in the absence of an effective response to Kashmiri people‘s aspirations, the roots of conflict cannot be removed. The imperatives for a constructive and responsible change in the approaches are huge and so are the benefits that should flow. Nonetheless, a forward move would rest upon ability of the elites to comprehend the complexity and thus display a political will. On the sidelines of the plenaries, the experts converged on discussion of academic issues: non-traditional security challenges, CBMs and beyond, role of media, and consideration of Kashmir as a connector rather than a point of conflict. The core points were:- 4 a. South Asia is faced with traditional as well as non-traditional threats due to the unresolved Kashmir issue. It has impacted on environmental degradation and human rights in the backdrop of over militarization of the region. b. CBMs at the bilateral level will convey sense if the two states also have CBMs with the Kashmiri people. Progress on this count has been limited so far. Second, the CBMs remain important to assure minimum level of trust. However, the measure can become ineffective if not backed-up by progress on the substance c. The Kashmir scenario, particularly the human rights aspect, carries sufficient ground for international action. However, the Kashmiris‘ plight is not translated into the media images.