President Musharraf's visit to India is an ideal opportunity for the leaders of both nations to prove their statesmanship in terms of resolution of matters that pertain to the common man, and not just the issue of Kashmir. According to a press release, the Moderates Chairman Syed Jawaid Iqbal stated this here on Sunday. He said both Prime Minister Manmohan and President Musharraf should set aside the irresolvable aspects of their respective issues, and focus on matters that relate to the uplift and progress of their people.
He remarked the issue of Kashmir has been the bone of contention for almost six decades, and it had given nothing except death, sorrow, and lamentation. He said it was in the greater interest of the people of both countries to address other issues without any further loss of human life.
Commenting on the strategy, he said sometimes unpopular decisions had to be taken. A leader was the representative of the people, but at the same time, he was also their protector and their guide. A leader has to decide in the greater interest of the people, and not just accede to each and every demand. A leader was to lead, and not to be lead. He gave the example of Quaid-e-Azam and Mohandas Gandhi, two leaders who proved their statesmanship in the midst of dire impediments, and rallied the people behind their concrete ideologies. They took a great number of decisions which were not appreciated by the masses but they stood firm in the midst of opposition- in the greater interest of those very people who opposed them. "That is where the difference lies between a leader and a statesman," he stated.
Syed Jawaid Iqbal further said the policy adopted by China was worth mentioning. Having put its issues with India on the 'back-burner' China had focused on creating friendly ties, in consideration of the global scenario and flow of circumstances. Leaders of both Pakistan and India should adopt a similar strategy so that the people of Kashmir in particular and those of India and Pakistan in general may reap the fruits of peace, prosperity and progress.
Founded in 2003, the Moderates is a society which encompasses several individuals from various circles including academia, business, social and political sciences, as well as religious scholars of major schools of thought.
Its axiom: changing attitudes - creating values, is a clear definition of its objectives. Tolerance, moderation and comprehension of other peoples' views are some of its norms. In a nutshell, the Moderates exhort the need for nurturing the nation, not just the country, the release concluded.-PR
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