Talat Hussain | What does PM Imran’s “Independence Option” offer to Kashmiris tell us?
Imran Khan addressing a Jalsa in Kotli - Feb 5, 2021 | Photo: Imran Khan Facebook Syed Talat Hussain Prime minister Imran Khan’s foot-in-mouth affliction shows no sign of abating. His latest utterance on Kashmir is an unmistakable sign that every time he steps on to the stage and takes the mike, astounding things can roll off this tongue. Taking leave from the standard policy of the country on the long-festering dispute, he offered Kashmiris and Jummuites the option to become “independent” after they had acceded to Pakistan. The offer, just to make it clear, is an extreme exercise in hollow theory considering where Kashmir stands today. The part that is in India’s control has been absorbed in the Union after the October 2019 actions that also split up the occupied territory into two. The part with Pakistan---AJK---has its own issues that revolve around but are not confined to the status of Gilgit and Baltistan. So, the accession talk and promises of independence are neither here nor th