WikiLeaks’ Misperceptions about Pakistan By Sajjad Shaukat

ntermittently, WikiLeaks continue its misperceptions about Pakistan as part of the old blame game of the west and anti-Pakistan countries. In this regard, on April 4, this year, while quoting a cable, dated November 28, 2008 from the US Embassy in London, this website has accused that until a day before the 26/11 Mumbai bombings, the view in the British Foreign Office was that Pakistan’s Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani had been a major obstacle to an India-Pakistan deal on Kashmir, as both the neighbours were close to signing a historic agreement on several occasions.

Every intellectual and non-intellectual person of the Sub-continent knows that India considers the occupied Kashmir as integral part of the Indian union; hence it has continuously been using delaying tactics in its solution. New Delhi’s intransigence remains the main obstacle in the settlement of Kashmir issue.

It is of particular attention that on June 27, 2009, Pakistan’s former President Pervez Musharraf had disclosed that he came near to resolving the Kashmir dispute during the infamous Agra summit in 2001. The then Indian Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee had even agreed to draft a joint declaration regarding the Kashmir issue, but blamed New Delhi for ditching Islamabad at the last moment. He elaborated, “The Indian leadership changed their mind at the last minute and did not support the joint declaration, saying that the Cabinet had not approved it.”

Musharraf further pointed out that he tried his best to resolve the issue which is pending for years, and in that context even held talks with all the stakeholders such as All-Parties Hurriyat Conference and various leaders of Kashmir.