NEW DELHI: The Nawaz Sharif government in Pakistan is preparing to toughen its stand on Kashmir at diplomatic for and step up armed assistance to secessionists in the valley, analysts here say.

The Islamic Democratic Alliance (IDA) government even appears to have disowned the Shimla pact for resolving bilateral problems, including the Kashmir issue with India, according to experts at the institute for defence studies and analyses (IDSA).

Statements and remarks made recently by top Pakistani leaders give strength to such an assessment. Pakistan’s new approach, experts say, seems to put considerable emphasis on the outdated United Nations resolutions on Kashmir.

With the army controlling a rightwing civilian facade, strains with India over Kashmir are unlikely to subside. These strains will, if anything, get worse.”

In his address to the first session of the new national assembly Pakistani president Ghulam Ishaq Khan said “Kashmir is Pakistan’s lifeline and it is Pakistan’s national duty to extend to the ‘freedom fighters’ moral and political support.”

The Pakistani president went on to say that his government would), keep seeking “a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir problem in accordance with the principles of partition of the subcontinent and U.N. resolutions.”

Experts said official statements pertaining to Kashmir from Islamabad so far at least used to refer torte Shimla agreement.

‘They also noted” the Surprise” emphasis which the Pakistani leadership is now placing on the principles of partition of the subcontinent,

Earlier, the Pakistani official circles were found of using the cliché that the Kashmir problem, should be resolved “in, the spirit of, Shimla agreement and relevant U.N. resolutions.” The latest de-emphasis’ on the Shimla pact, experts Say, appears to be in tandem with the IDA’s manifesto issued before the October 24 elections.

The manifesto had said “we resolutely uphold the right of self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in’ accordance with the resolutions of the security council.

Article extracted from this publication >> December 7, 1990