Opinion | India Is Building a More Prosperous Kashmir

Clearly, this prospect for a more prosperous Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, cuts the ground under the feet of Pakistan. Its prime minister claims that he offered to work for peace, progress and prosperity with India. What he does not say is that the assembly line of terrorists that is a major industry of his country continues without pause.

He suggests that institutions like the Financial Action Task Force, an international organization that investigates terrorist financing, are part of a conspiracy against Pakistan. He obscures the fact that the mastermind of the Mumbai terrorist attack of 2008 has been shielded by Pakistan. And that the Pulwama suicide bombing was carried out by Jaish-e-Muhammad, a United Nations-proscribed terrorist outfit that operates openly from one of his major cities.

Mr. Khan has criticized India for its treatment of Muslims and other non-Hindu minorities. This would be laughable if the reality was not so tragic. When Pakistan was created, its population was 23 percent minorities. This is now down to 3 percent, a figure that speaks for itself. And there are countless faces — Shias, Ahmadis, Christians, Hindus and Sikhs — who can testify to this tragic reality. Fellow Muslims are not spared; ask the Shia, the Pashtun, Sindhi or the Baloch people of Pakistan.

And the irony of seeing Islamabad refusing to recognize the legitimacy of Israel and tolerating anti-Semitic sentiment, but now invoking images of European fascism, is simply astounding.

Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, are now in transition. The changes introduced by India have challenged entrenched interests who benefited from the old system at a cost to the people. Incitement and support from across the border for violence and terrorism are to be expected. Many of the restrictions on travel and communications intended to ensure public order and safety have since been relaxed. Preventing loss of life is the highest priority.

India’s actions regarding Article 370 have no implications outside of India. Its external boundaries have not changed. Nor has the Line of Control with Pakistan been affected. What has changed is that there is now hope for development that will help the residents of the region — and that will obstruct Pakistan’s longstanding support of cross-border terrorism. That is why the prime minister concocts alarming scenarios, hoping to stop these improvements.

But Prime Minister Khan needs to wake up and smell the tea. Development will happen, progress will be visible, prosperity will take root and terrorism will fail. And India will hope that Pakistan renounces hostility, violence and terrorism to become the normal neighbor that all of South Asia desires.

Harsh Vardhan Shringla is the Indian ambassador to the United States.

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