The Kashmir

Conflict: UN
Solutions
By Suchin Gururangan,
Kiron Lebeck, and
Niel Lebeck
Overview
Background and history
Positions of involved parties
Recent developments
United Nations involvement
Potential solutions
Our proposal


The Basics of the Conflict
The Kashmir conflict is a dispute between India and
Pakistan over control of the region of Kashmir
Each country lays claim to Kashmir due to
nationalism and the controversial politics of the
region
Conflicting ideologies and the refusal of either party
to compromise have stymied efforts to reach a
solution
Geography
Bordered by Afghanistan,
Pakistan, India, and China
Contains about 85,000
square miles of land
Mountainous, sparsely
populated region
Varied climate due to
elevation
Most populated area is the
Vale of Kashmir, on the
Indian side
Currently, Kashmir is divided
into three regions: one
controlled by India, one
controlled by Pakistan, and a
small area controlled by
China

Demographics
According to a 2001 census, Kashmir has about 10
million residents
7.5 million in Indian-controlled territory
2.5 million in Pakistani-controlled territory
Three-quarters of the population are Muslim, and
the remaining one-quarter is predominantly Hindu

History of
Occupation and Conflict
Great Britain controlled India from
1612 until 1947
Under British rule, Kashmir was a
princely stateit was directly ruled
by a maharaja that answered to the
British
1947-India gains independence
from Britain
The independence agreement
partitions India into two nations,
India and Pakistan
The Maharaja of Kashmir accedes
his province to India, prompting war
between India and Pakistan
1948 UN Security Council
passes resolution 47, mandating a
ceasefire along the Line of Control
(LOC) and paving the way for a
potential plebiscite
1957-India declares all of Kashmir
a state of the Indian Union
1965 Alleged infiltration
attempts by Pakistan instigate a
second Indo-Pakistani war in
Kashmir
1989 Militancy in the region
escalates
1999 Pakistani forces cross the
LOC, and India responds by
declaring war
2005 India and Pakistan agree
to a new ceasefire
Divided Kashmir
Indian Kashmir
India controls the
southeast portion of
Kashmir, which has the
most fertile land
Indian territory is governed
as a state, called Jammu
and Kashmir

Pakistani Kashmir
Pakistan controls the northwest,
with a harsher climate and
sparser population
Pakistans territory is divided
into two regions: Azad Kashmir,
or free Kashmir, which has its
own government, and the
Northern Areas, which are
governed directly by Pakistan
Azad Kashmir is about 4,500
square miles, and the Northern
Areas are about 28,000 square
miles

Divided kashmir
Indias Positions
The accession of Kashmir to India is legally
indisputable
Religion is irrelevant in determining control of
Kashmira large Muslim community supported the
accession of Kashmir to India
The Pakistani sponsorship of terrorism in Kashmir
disrupts the democratic process in the region
International intervention is out of the question, as
Kashmir is strictly Indias affair
Pakistans Positions
Kashmir rightfully belongs to Pakistan due to their
religious and economic ties
Pakistan does not provide material aid to any
terrorists or insurgents in Kashmir
In accordance with the UN Security Council,
Pakistan considers Indias claim to Kashmir invalid
The Kashmiri people should be allowed to choose
between Pakistani and Indian control through a
plebiscite
Kashmirs Positions
Kashmiris overwhelmingly favor independence
A poll conducted in the Kashmiri capital of Srinagar
in 2007 revealed that 87% of Kashmiris desire
independence, 7% favor Indian rule, and 3% prefer
Pakistani control
Kashmiris oppose Indian rule due to the restrictions
placed on them by Indian security forces and
alleged human rights abuses by the Indian
government
The Mumbai Attacks and
Kashmir
On November 26th-29th 2008, Mumbai,
Indias greatest commercial capital, came
under siege by ten terrorists.
Ten coordinated attacks, each conducted
in populous areas of Mumbai, killed at
least 173 people and left 308 injured.
Presently, the terrorists are suspected to
have originated from Pakistan
Terrorist organization: Lashkar-e-
Taiba
Currently being denied by Pakistani
officials
Terrorists motives seem to be partly
related to Kashmir
Lashkar-e-Taiba operates several
training camps in Kashmir, and
regularly carries out offensives
against Indian forces in Jammu and
Kashmir.

The Mumbai Attacks and
Kashmir
These atrocities highlight the need for settlement of the Kashmir conflict to ensure lasting
cooperation between India and Pakistan
Collaboration between these two nations could help combat extremism
The Mumbai attacks have engendered a rapid increase in tensions among Pakistani and Indian
officials who are already engulfed in mutual distrust
India has accused Pakistans Inter-service Intelligence (ISI) of training and giving intelligence
to Lashkar-e-Taiba as well as other terrorist organizations in Pakistan
Pakistan insists that it only gives the rebels in Kashmir diplomatic and moral support, not
material aid or training.
The symbol of Lashkar-e-Taiba
The War on Terror and
Kashmir
Centered in the Middle East, but spread over multiple continents
An international conflict led by the United States, United Kingdom, and NATO forces against
Islamic terrorism in response to the September 11
th
attacks in the United States
Objectives include
Securing American borders
Preventing activities of international terrorist networks
Ending state sponsorship of terrorism
Preventing re-emergence of terrorism abroad.
United States presence in Central/South Asia and alliances with Pakistan and India in the
War on Terror increase American ability to intervene in the Indo-Pakistani Peace Process
Pakistans emergence as a United States partner on the War on Terror
Pressure by Washington resulted in the banning of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-
Muhammad in Kashmir
US donates about 1 billion dollars in military aid to Islamabad each year
Many factors contribute to Pakistani insecurity:
US presence in Afghanistan (Western Border)
Indian presence on the Eastern Border
Deep intelligence ties between India, Afghanistan, and the US

Musharraf and Ali Zardari: Pakistans Political
Leadership
Pervez Musharaff (2001-2008)
Proposed a four point solution to
Kashmir:
- gradual demilitarization
- greater autonomy, but no
independence
- no changes to the region's borders
- joint supervision mechanism or UN
mandate over region
Banned Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-
Muhammad after they were accused of
orchestrating an attack against the
Indian Parliament
The bans impact was superficial and
did little to hinder insurgency in
Kashmir

Asif Ali Zardari (Incumbent)
Determined to normalize trade
and political relations with India
Offered to set Kashmir issue
aside
Has no support from Pakistani
military on the issue
Despite his determination, the
president has stated that he is
ready to thwart any aggression
from the East if need be
United Nations
Involvement
The United Nations has played only a minor role in
the Kashmir Conflict so far
UN involvement has been limited to ceasefire
negotiations and an attempted plebiscite

UN-Brokered Ceasefires
During the 1948 Indo-Pakistani War, the UN Security
Council passed Resolutions 39 and 47, establishing
the creation of a United Nations Commission on
India and Pakistan (UNCIP)
UNCIP then passed resolutions calling for a
ceasefire across the Line of Control
The Security Council also brokered a ceasefire in
the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and enforced it with
Resolution 211

The Plebiscite
After the Indo-Pakistani War of 1948, UNCIP established the
framework for a plebiscite to decide the future status of
Kashmir
The plebiscite would offer Kashmiris a choice between Indian
and Pakistani rule
Both Indian and Pakistani governments initially agreed to the
plebiscite
Since 1948, the plebiscite has been repeatedly delayed
The Indian government claims that a requirement of Pakistani
militant withdrawal has not been met, blaming Pakistan for the
delay
The Pakistani government maintains its innocence and desire
for the plebiscite, putting the blame on India
Initial Steps
The United Nations must take a more proactive role in
resolving the Kashmir Conflict
The United Nations must first encourage the
normalization of relations between India and Pakistan
Encourage sharing of intelligence and increased cooperation
in combating extremism
Provide economic incentives to foster bilateral trade
Create a commission to investigate and prevent state-
sponsored terrorism in both nations
Provide peacekeeping troops to secure the borders of India,
Pakistan, and Kashmir and to prevent the movement of
militants


UN Plebiscite
Pros:
The plebiscite was
recommended by the
UNCIP as a method of
resolving the conflict
The plebiscite is officially
endorsed by the Pakistani
government

Cons:
The currently proposed
plebiscite would only allow
the residents of Kashmir to
choose between Indian or
Pakistan control, when
many desire the option of
independence
The plebiscite has been
repeatedly stalled due to
disagreements between
India and Pakistan over the
requirements of Resolution
47


Plebiscite Result: Pakistani
Control
Pros
Integrates Kashmir into a
Muslim state, providing for
greater religious harmony

Cons
Pakistan has an unstable
government
Non-Muslims may become
second-class citizens and
subject to persecution
Engenders Indian outrage
and nationalism
Kashmiri citizens strongly
prefer independence

Pakistani
President
Asif Ali
Zardari
Plebiscite Result: Indian
Control
Pros
Places Kashmir in the
control of a stable
government
Cons
Legitimizes the human
rights abuses committed by
the Indian government
Enrages Pakistani citizens
and military, likely sparking
conflict
Kashmiri citizens strongly
prefer independence

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Maintaining a Divided
Kashmir
Pros
Requires the smallest
investment of time and
resources
Cons
Provides a source for
continued tension between
the two nations
Fuels nationalist
sentiments among both
Indian and Pakistani
citizens
Goes against the will of the
Kashmiri people
Kashmiri Independence
Pros
Satisfies the will of the
Kashmiri people
Prevents the issue from
being a point of contention
between India and
Pakistan
Precludes further human
rights abuses from the
Indian military
Diminishes the motivation
of extremists and
insurgents
Cons
Opposed by the Indian and
Pakistani governments
Fledgling nation may not
have a stable economy or
government
The Hindu population
would be a minority, and
tensions between Muslims
and Hindus could develop

Our Position
We believe that Kashmir must become an
independent state
The United Nations must take a proactive role in
securing Kashmiri sovereignty

A Proposal for a Solution
1. Establish a Kashmiri Sovereignty Commission (KSC)
1. The commission would first determine the viability of Kashmiri independence in
terms of economic and political stability
2. The commission would then hold a referendum in Kashmir confirming the peoples
desire for independence
2. Considering the results of the referendum, introduce a resolution urging the global
community to support Kashmiri sovereignty
3. Use support from the global community to persuade India and Pakistan to recognize
Kashmir as an independent nation
4. Draft a resolution in the Security Council recognizing Kashmir as a sovereign state
and calling for demilitarization of the region
5. Establish a UN transitional government in Kashmir to develop infrastructure and
security
6.Hold elections for an independent, parliamentary government
A Proposal for A Solution
This proposal is contingent on the participation of
member nations in creating the necessary
resolutions and commissions
If India and Pakistan fail to recognize Kashmir as
independent, more forceful action could be taken;
Kosovo provides a precedent
In this proposal, the United Nations acts as the
medium used to achieve a lasting solution for the
conflict
Conclusion
Greater understanding of this conflict---history and
developments
The necessity of resolving this conflict, as well as
potential solutions
The important role that the UN has in mediating the
situation

THE END
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