ISLAMABAD: Despite the present tensions between India and Pakistan on several fronts, Islamabad insists that it remains open to “a result-oriented and sustainable dialogue” with its neighbour but admits that these offers “remain unresponded”.

An answer is provided by former Indian National Security Adviser and High Commissioner to Pakistan, Shivshankar Menon, who says that Pakistan’s polity does not have the capacity to sustain a normal relationship with India.

“I would characterise (Indo-Pak relations) today as managed hostility, which I hope it stays managed. Today I don’t think Pakistan’s polity has the capacity to sustain a normal relationship with India. I think there is a very strong institutional interest there,” Menon commented at an event in New York.

Pakistan, on the other hand, says it is India that continues to create and prolongs a crisis-like situation while shying away from a result-oriented dialogue on Kashmir, which if unresolved would continue to see turmoil in the region.

“This present crisis is India’s doing. Pakistan has always pursued a policy of maximum restraint and patience and made many gestures towards peaceful relations with India, but India remains intransigent and arrogant. Indian atrocities in IHK are absolutely not acceptable and India must stop bloodshed immediately. Our repeated offers of talks remain unresponded. We remain open to a result-oriented and sustainable dialogue,” spokesman at the Foreign Office remarked on Thursday.

Al-Jazeera reported that more than 1,600 civilians have been hit in the face with pellets since the uprising began in July in IHK and even teenage girls between 12 and 19 have not been spared.

“Hit in the eyes with lead-based pellets, they are the latest victims of the non-lethal projectiles used by the Indian troops as a method of crowd control in India-Held Kashmir”, comments Al-Jazeera, though Kashmiris insist that troops entered homes in south Kashmir to target these young girls

“Locals allege that after the incident, troops went on the rampage, entering homes and breaking property”, added Al-Jazeera.

On October 30, the Greater Kashmir newspaper reported that 1,631 civilians had been hit in the face, including 1,100 with injuries to their eyes since July. Menon meanwhile remained pessimistic over any progress over the resolution of Kashmir. He said many of the issues relating to Kashmir had been around for a long time and “we know the solutions” to many of them but they seem to be “politically difficult” to serve.

Friday saw the Foreign Office relentless in sensitising important world capitals when the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Foreign Affairs, Syed Tariq Fatemi, called upon the permanent members of the UN Security Council to fulfill their commitment to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, through holding of a free, fair and impartial plebiscite under the UN auspices, in accordance with the Security Council resolutions.

“The people of IHK are being brutalised for demanding their fundamental rights, including the right to self-determination”, Fatemi was quoted in a statement as saying. He was speaking to the ambassadors of the permanent members of the UN Security Council which include China, France, Russian Federation, UK and USA at the Foreign Office.

The SAPM also deplored Indian involvement in subversive and terrorist activities in Pakistan, at a time when six Indian officials at the Indian High Commission accused of being involved in subversive activities have still not been asked to leave Pakistan. Neither has New Delhi officially asked them to return home.

To a query about the workings of Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi after the departure of a large number of diplomats, the spokesman remarked, “Definitely, when such a vacuum is created the working of the High Commission is bound to suffer. However, (this withdrawal was necessary) as they are unable to perform their duties and so was the case with their families who have also been subjected to harassment. Thus, we have recalled them”.