Most Pakistanis (and Kashmiris) wouldn’t want to hear this, but the only realistic solution to the Kashmir issue is that Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) becomes an official Pakistani territory, while the Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) becomes an official indian territory.

Why is this unlikable solution, the only possible solution to this problem? The answer is very simple.

Pakistan and India have two very decent military powers with both their armies backed nuclear weapons. So if either of the countries feel that they can just send their armies in the other country’s side and Kashmir and just conquer it, that’s not going to happen.

The second solution that most Pakistanis talk about is a referendum in accordance with the UN resolutions on Kashmir. This resolution is never going to happen because of India’s oppressive image in IoK. They know very well that a referendum such as this would very likely take away IoK from India and either merge it with Pakistan or declare it as an independent state. That would be like a political suicide for the party in power inside India at that time.

The United Nations does not have the power or the will to compel an economic/military great power like India to carry out this resolution. So no matter how much Pakistan keeps reminding India and the UN about their promise to conduct a referendum in Kashmir, its probably never going to happen.

The freedom fighters and protesters inside IoK, constantly talking about their freedom and right to self determination have only annoyed India thus far. It has never compelled India to think about freedom as the solution to the Kashmir issue and it most likely never will.

Being an ordinary citizen of India or Pakistan, if think about this problem rationally rather than emotionally, this is the only solution you will come up with. Its a hard pill to swallow, but its all we’ve got. So if we as ordinary citizens know this is the only realistic solution, why haven’t our governments realized this yet?

Its because they don’t want this problem to end. Both governments have their own agendas behind keeping this issue an issue.

India’s reasons for keeping this as an issue are purely political in nature. Kashmir works as a scapegoat for the Indian government. Whenever the government is under heavy criticism or wants public support in an election, something happens in Kashmir. The government then latches on to this opportunity to ignite nationalism in the Indian media and general public and diverts the country’s attention to Kashmir.

Pakistan’s reasons on the other hand are a bit complex. The Pakistan government does not gain much from the continuation of this problem (in fact the government that provides a solution will heralded as saviors). Its the establishment that benefits from this issue.

As long as this issue in Kashmir remains an issue, India and Pakistan will remain hostile to each other. And because Pakistan is sharing a long border with a much more powerful and hostile neighbor, a high defense budget and a high involvement of the establishment in Pakistan’s defense and foreign affairs is justified.

This fact has kept the establishment in Pakistan in power for so many years (either as direct martial laws or as puppeteers of some civilian government). If this Kashmir issue was resolved and a highly popular civilian government came into power, that government will drastically cut down Pakistan’s defense expenses because of the weak economy behind it.

This situation will weaken the establishment to an extent that they would stop being relevant in the domestic politics and decision making in the country. They simply cannot allow that to happen.

Pakistanis think that Pakistan is trying to help the oppressed Kashmiris and is trying to free them from a villain. But if you know anything about international politics, you’ll know that there are no heroes or villains in this game, only states with their national interests.

We can only hope that two reasonable and powerful civilian governments come to power in these countries and find a solution to this problem once and for all. The people of Indian occupied Kashmir are suffering because of the interests of two countries and their power elite.