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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