With India-held Kashmir passing through one of the bloodiest phases in its history, political analysts are questioning the government’s inability to appoint a foreign minister to represent Pakistan’s stance on the issue.
Analysts are of the view Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should focus his attention on the Kashmir issue instead of pursuing “friendship goals” with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.
One such analyst has criticised the federal government, saying Pakistan’s foreign policy is geared towards providing explanations for the Panama Papers instead of prioritising the Kashmir issue.
Another analyst says the 22-member Special Committee on Kashmir Affairs, headed by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, has failed to call a single meeting on the issue.
The analyst is also of the view that the JUI-F chief should step down as head of the Kashmir committee and the government should appoint “someone patriotic” to lead the special body.
The leadership of Azad Kashmir, they say, has decided to observe silence on the issue. “Mushtaq Minhas, a candidate of the ruling PML-N, wants to be the prime minister of Azad Kashmir and has no concern with what happens in India-held Kashmir,” says an analyst.
“The prime minister is quite, we have no foreign minister, Kashmir committee is not working effectively, and our defence minister is talking about possibility of flood.”
Read more: Without foreign minister Pakistan fails on diplomatic fronts
