How Bilawal Bhutto's rhetoric on Kashmir brings back memories of Zulfiqar Bhutto

The scion of Pakistan’s first political family, 25-year old Bilwal Bhutto Zardari’s fulmination over Kashmir have enlivened memories of his grandfather Zulfiqar Bhutto, who had committed to eat grass and fight a war of thousand years to liberate Kashmir. Son of Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari, the oxford returned Bilwal is president of secular Pakistan People’s Party(PPP), known in the West as having liberal, moderate outlook and also believed as the custodian of democracy in  Pakistan.

The third generation Bhtto declared that he will take back every inch of Kashmir. He means Jammu and Kashmir. Kashmir is the staple of populism of many Pakistan leaders, and the Bhuttos have turned it into a theatrical declamation. Benazir Bhutto, while in opposition would cozy up with India seeking helping hand, but in power would go into histrionic paroxysms at public rallies while talking about Kashmir.  

Addressing party workers in Multan region in Punjab on Friday, Bilawal, the 'Gen-Next' politician of Pakistan, had said his PPP would get back entire Kashmir from India. "I will take back Kashmir, all of it, and I will not leave behind a single inch of it because, like the other provinces, it belongs to Pakistan," said the scion of highly influential Bhutto family. When Bilawal made these remarks, he was flanked by former prime ministers Yousaf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervaiz Asharaf.

Congress spokesperson Sandeep Dikshit said that the issue of Jammu and Kashmir is settled and that the state is an integral part of India. BJP’s Subrahmanian Swamy dismissed the Bilawal rant as “an immature comment”. “In 1971 we could have finished off West Pakistan but we decided not to finish the identity of Pakistan. So if this kind of talks takes place and especially on a matter which is legally settled. When the Instrument of Accession was signed, it was final," he added. India also reacted officially, saying the statement was far from reality and reminded young Bhutto that the integrity and unity of the country was "non negotiable".

"We are in the process of looking forward and looking forward does not mean that our borders will be changed. We made it very clear that as far as we are concerned, the integrity and unity of India is non negotiable," Spokesperson in the External Affairs Ministry Syed Akbaruddin said.  He said the comment was "far from reality which takes us back into the past century". Bhuttos, though secular and projected as custodians of democracy in the West have never enthused India. A senior intelligence officer told DNA that after the departure of military dictator Pervez Musharraf,  India had put its stakes on Pakistan Muslim League (PML) led by Nawaz Sharif rather in Benazir Bhutto in  2007 general elections. Bhutto’s party won with a slender margin riding on a sympathy wave, her assassination created across the country.

Former National Security Advisor (NSA) and till recently Governor of West Bengal M K Narayanan is on record in 2007 saying, that it is difficult to believe if Bhutto would deliver on her promise to India while in opposition. “Her track record is not necessarily something that would make us believe that she will follow to the letter and the spirit of what she has said," Narayanan added. “The single most important entity in Pakistan remains the army and the ISI and I find it extremely difficult to believe that prime minister Benazir Bhutto, if she becomes that, will have a free hand in doing all the things that she wishes to do, but we hope that she will do her best,” he said, ahead of her assassination in December 2007.

Amongst Pakistan rulers, India has been more comfortable with Pervez Musharraf, whom the establishment here believes had departed from earlier rulers.  “I think there are things in the pipeline, things which are cooking, which are half cooked or three quarters cooked, which we would like to take forward. But would Musharraf be able to convince the other power centres that have come up in addition to himself that this is the best thing for Pakistan? That's a question mark,” Narayanan had said. He had also made it clear that Musharraf’s departure from the political scene could leave a vacuum that could encourage radical extremists in the neighbouring country to do what they like, not only on the Pakistan-Afghan border but on the Indian side of the border as well. A prophecy coming true.