Dear Dimension,
Usually I keep far away from these kind of discussions but you really seem to be living in your own DIMENSION WHICH IS FAR AWAY FROM REALITY. No Pakistani or Indian Government can give independence to Kashmir whether its for Pakistan or Indian or Chinese controlled areas. Kashmir is strategic land for both Indian and Pakistan as it controls the rivers flowing into Pakistan and India. As a foreigner I have visited Indian side of Kashmir consisting of Srinagar Valley ( which truly wants independence/pakistan rule/autonomy with no Indian Army there in that order), Jammu (where if you said the word Pakistan you would be lynched) and then Leh where they are very happy being a part of India. So what is your defination for freedom for Kashmir ? This is only the Indian side of the problem. On the Pakistan side the situation is equally grim. Nearly 5,180 sq km (2,000 sq miles) of northern Kashmir was ceded to Beijing by Pakistan under a 1963 pact after the Chinese had captured 38,000 square kilometers (14,670 sq mile) of Indian territory in Aksai Chin in erstwhile Kashmir.
CNN.com - Aksai Chin: China's disputed slice of Kashmir - May 24, 2002
Have you seen the Gen. asking the Chinese to give freedom to the Kashmiris in that territory ? I would love to see their reaction if the Gen. asks for plebicite in Chinese controlled Kashmir ?
I feel really bad for the Kashmiris as they had a valid reason for the plebicite in the 1950's to decide their own future but now independence is not on offer from any of the three countries involved including Pakistan for strategic reasons and thats a fact which the newer generation of Kashmiris are accepting. There are some very candid comments from the senior Pakistani orgin members here about what is Kashmir and most of them concede today Kashmir is the valley of Srinagar only in Indian terms.
Please don't believe the views of the politicians from India and Pakistan about how their hearts cry for the Kashmiris as these are just crocodile tears. I have also met a lot of Indian muslims who are proud to be Indians (it was a muslim who gave India the A Bomb)and lot of Hindus who are proud to be Pakistanis (Don't forget it was Hindu Acting Chief Justice who set right the political crisis in Pakistan).
Above said, I think the Gen. is a sincere and pragmatic person who sees that the issue of Kashmir from both Pakistans security vis vis India's political limitations and is sincerely resolving the same with Indians through Track II secret negotiations. Unfortunately USA's intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan have created a backlash in Pakistan which has probably kept him pre-occupied.
Regards