Pakistan takes great pride in leaving no stone unturned in its advocacy of the people reeling under the longest lingering dispute in the subcontinent. However, a caustic criticism of the Indian authorities over establishing hegemony in the disputed valley cannot accompany any snubbing tactics on this part of the fences, especially when the whole world is watching. No matter how toxic the party lines may have become, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif should have thought twice before getting into a verbal spat with Azad Jammu and Kashmir Premier Sardar Tanveer Ilyas on Monday. In a video gaining a lot of traction on social media, he can be seen knee-jerkedly dismissing Sardar Ilyas’s reservations. Mr Sharif has been accused of “irascibly” sidelining the latter’s protest over the absence of mention of “the sacrifices of the people” of the very land he was standing on. The proof of all campaigning lies in the pudding and no matter how determinedly we proclaim the Kashmiris living in Indian-controlled territory as an absolute part of our homeland, New Delhi’s hawks must be having a field day with the viral footage. That the prime minister allegedly did not stop long enough after the event to clear the air and listen to what his counterpart had to say speaks volumes about how grossly the entire episode was mishandled. Devastating optics aside, anyone who dons the coveted cap stands to represent all Pakistanis in all of Pakistan and therefore, Mr Sharif owed an explanation to PM Sardar and the people living in the state. Kashmir matters but not only when it is inscribed on emphatic placards. The cause matters because every leader all the way back to the founding father had made it a point to include it in the national ambit. As always, far more frustrating is the tenacity of the political squabbles that refuse to consider anything else in the room. The war continues to rage on as the menacing threats of submerging the whole kit and kaboodle increase with each passing day, but our impervious elite only appears interested in sharpening daggers and tooting their horns. *