G-20 Summit in 2022 and Responsibility of Active Diplomatic Campaign

by Hafsa Anis

It was a fine sunny day at Shere Kashmir stadium Srinagar. India was hosting one day international match in disputed territory of IIOJK to show the world that situation there is calm in the favour of India. The match started in intense security arrangements. Initial minutes were calm but soon the crowd started applauding for the players of West Indies instead of India. Also a group of young boys of Jamat e Islami Kashmir appeared waving green flags, though not identical but resembling Pakistani flag. The loud applause for West Indies was deafening. IIOJK didn’t prove a good choice for India to showcase its self-acclaimed pseudo-secularism. Kashmiri expressed their dissent and showed it to the whole world. Srinagar is still isn’t an ideal place for hosting any international event despite its immense beauty and hospitable culture. Laddakh is supposedly a better choice for India this time. India will assume the presidency of G-20 summit by Dec 1, 2022. India is likely to hold about 190 meetings and conference country wide in next one year. One of them is planned to be held in Laddakh, a part of disputed territory, which India has recently made a union territory. Laddakh, due to its difficult topography is not an ideal place to hold such meeting. Then why to choose Laddakh instead of Srinagar? Two reasons can answer this question. One, India doesn’t want a kind of humiliation it faced in 1983 during the match and Laddakh has least chances to do such a thing. And secondly, India wants to kill two birds with one stone. It wants to annoy both China and Pakistan and naturally both have expressed their anger about it. Harsh Shringla Chief Coordinator of the G-20 Secretariat in the Ministry of External Affairs has said that India’s Presidency of the G-20 provides a unique opportunity to place“our narrative in the global agenda and to showcase India’s development and cultural diversity.” So the other question is, India during the presidency of G-20, what can achieve on the international level in terms of strengthening its narrative in the global agenda? India has faced humiliation in recent UN resolution on right to self-determination and reacted very furiously. G-20 is a group of 19 countries and European Union to address global financial issues and climate change mitigation. Pakistan is not a member of this organization. So Pakistan cannot raise voice directly on its increasing climate change threat or any other issue like holding the event in disputed territory on the forum of G-20. The only policy option for Pakistan is to press through friend countries like Saudi Arabia, China and Turkiy and again China will be the best option amongst them. Being equally annoyed by India’s move, China has already expressed its anger for proposed event. China has multiple conflicts with India some of them are particularly Laddakh centered. Laddakh has religious and political affiliation with Dalai Lama who is in India on asylum. And there is also an active conflict between India and China on Laddakh’sGalwan Valley. Therefore, China can raise this issue on the forum of G-20. It is also the need of hour to have an effective diplomatic campaign on the issues of Jammu and Kashmir as well as climate change related threats for Pakistan. Any such campaign by Kashmiris in IIOJK will not be possible because India uses its jingoistic muscles to suppress the voice of Kashmiris and even any nonviolent campaign by Kashmiris can invite India’s wrath. So, responsibility lies not only on Pakistan but also on the shoulder of people of AJK, Kashmiri diaspora and organizations working for human rights at national and global level

You may also like

Leave a Comment

Stay Connected

Follow and subscribe

Contact CISS

CISS (Centre for international strategic studies)

05822922322

admin@cissajk.org.pk

career@cissajk.org.pk