The Rediff Interview / General Gul Hassan Khan
'Farooq Abdullah is nobody to say that Pakistan should take this
and India should take this'
I have no hatred towards India," says
General Gul Hassan Khan who fought three wars
against India. "Fighting a war against one country is just
like going into a boxing ring. After the match is over, you shake
hands with your enemy," says the former Pakistani
army chief disarmingly.
The general, who was born in Rawalpindi, was educated at the Royal Indian Military College (now the Rashtriya Indian Military College), Dehra Dun. In 1933 he was commissioned in the British army. After
Partition, he served the Pakistani army for 25 years. He resigned as army chief following differences with the then Pakistan prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
He now spends half the year in Vienna, Austria; the other half he spends in Rawalpindi.
The general visited India last week to celebrate his alma mater's platinum jubilee.
In this exhaustive interview with Rediff
On The NeT's Syed Firdaus Ashraf he
discusses the problems facing India and Pakistan, the likely issues
at next week's foreign secretary summit in New Delhi
among many other issues. A lively and illuminating encounter.
What do you think will be discussed by the two foreign
secretaries next week?
This is after a long time that an initiative has been made by both
India and Pakistan. There are two ways to tackle the situation, one is to
start with hard nuts and other one is to get around the smaller
issues. I don't know what issues will be discussed. But the
most important thing is a dialogue has been started. Besides Kashmir
and Siachen, there are many other things to discussed like trade
and solving the problems of visas.
But we have been talking for the past 50 years?
We were talking, but nobody was serious about it. Now I hope India
is serious too. You see one must understand that relations
between the two countries have not been good since 1948. You cannot
expect to get results in five minutes. It will take a long, long
time to solve the problem. Especially the Kashmir problem. So even
if it takes time, no problem. As long as we are talking, we will
progress in some or the other direction.
How do you think a beginning can be made towards a better relationship
considering that the thorny issue of Kashmir will continue to simmer?
India won't let go of Kashmir and you won't let go of the issue, so
what happens?
That is what I said -- this is a hard core issue, a very hard nut to
tackle. I feel if the two teams meet then they must sort
out the Kashmir issue. This is a very important issue and we must
tackle this by negotiations.
What kind of agreement do you expect?
Honestly, I have no idea. I have nothing to do with the Pakistani
army and politics now. I don't know any of the top politicians
or army generals in Pakistan today.
Do you think the solution proposed by Jammu Kashmir Chief
Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah -- that the present line of control be recognised
as the international border and that India renounce its claim
to Pakistan occupied Kashmir -- is a solution?
(Laughs) Pakistan never trusted Farooq Abdullah's father, the
late Sheikh Abdullah. So, how can we trust his son? But it depends
if he comes out with something solid which suits both countries.
Then that may solve the problem. As far as Farooq Abdullah is
concerned, he is not the sole representative of India. He is nobody
to say that Pakistan should take this and India should take this.
But he is the chief minister of a popular elected government in
Jammu and Kashmir?
That does not make much difference. He cannot take decisions on
his own. He has talk to higher Indian authorities. He has every
right to say whatever he wants, provided he has got a permission
from the central government.
Do you think this is a good solution?
I have no idea.
As a former army chief, you must have some views on the issue.
Let me tell you one thing very straight. If I was interested in
politics I would have been in it. I am not interested in politics
one bit. That is why I resigned as the chief of the army staff when
I had differences with then Pakistan Prime Minister Zulfikar
Ali Bhutto. He wanted to politicise the army. And I said no,
nothing doing. So, I resigned on March 3 , 1972.
What about Siachen? Do you think a withdrawal from the glacier
is likely?
I think this will be included in this talks. And I hope it happens.
The troops on both sides are facing too much hardship. Pakistan's
view is that India went to Siachen so we too went there.
Nobody knew what Siachen was. I did not know. I was holidaying
in Vienna when somebody showed me on the map where Siachen
was located. Pakistan started giving importance to Siachen only
after India started giving importance to it.
Whenever India does something, Pakistan follows suit? Why is it
so?
You see this is the case since 1947. Whatever India does Pakistan
reacts and vice versa. Now it has become normal practice.
The view in India is that the army is the dominant power centre
in Pakistan. How true is this impression?
This is what everybody asks me. The politicians so far in Pakistan
have been weak. And since they are weak they seek protection from
the army which is strong. Pakistani politicians are not as strong
compared to Indian politicians. However, Nawaz Sharief
has a very strong mandate this time. So, I hope he will prove
to be different.
General Gul Hassan's photograph: Atul Chowdhury
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