Archive for category KASHMIR IS BURNING

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Kashmiris in Indian Jails

May 28: Pakistan Became Declared Nuclear Power

By

Sajjad Shaukat

Showing aggressive designs against Pakistan, on May 11, 1998, India conducted three nuclear tests and on May 13, 1998, two nuclear tests.

Notably, both the countries have waged three wars, especially on the issue of the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK). Therefore, in response, Pakistan successfully carried out its five nuclear tests on May 28, 1998 and the sixth one on May 30, 1998.

In this regard, it took only 17 days for Pakistan to successfully carry out its five nuclear tests on May 28, 1998 and the sixth one on May 30, 1998, at Chaghi in Balochistan. For the purpose, about five thousands scientists including Dr Samar Mubarakmand and particularly Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan had worked day and night and made the defence of the country impregnable.

Therefore, with national zeal and fervour in different parts of the country, Youm-e-Takbeer (The day of greatness) is celebrated every year on May 28 as the national day to mark the conduction of nuclear tests.

It is noteworthy that in 1974, India conducted first nuclear test in Rajasthan Pokhran to pressurise Islamabad.

When Zulfikar Ali Bhutto came to power, he paid much attention to the nuclear programme, as he knew that India would apply its coercive diplomacy on Islamabad or could attack Pakistan.

Meanwhile, during many crises such as Kargil issue of 1999 and attack on the Indian parliament by the militants in 2001, New Delhi concentrated its troops across the Pakistan’s border, with the intention to invade Pakistan, while raising a series of false allegations against Islamabad. Pakistan was also compelled to deploy its Army along the Pak-India border. But, India did not dare to initiate a war because of Pakistan’s ‘Nukes.’ Similarly, in the past, Indian rulers had intended to implement their doctrine of limited war in Kashmir, but they could not do so owing to Pakistan’s atomic weapons.

And in the aftermath of false flag Mumbai terror attacks of 2008, India accused Pakistan’s primary spy agency ISI of supporting the militants. Although Pak diplomats denied Indian self-fabricated story, but New Delhi adopted a threatening posture against Islamabad. Once again, it deployed its troops across the Pakistani border. Again, Pakistan also concentrated its military to give a matching response to India.

Likewise, in the aftermath of the false flag terror of Pulwama, very tension escalated rapidly between the two countries on February 27, 2019. In response to the Indian so-called pre-emptive air strike near the town of Balakot, close to the border with Pakistan’s sector of Kashmir, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) shot down two Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets and launched aerial strikes at six targets in the (IOK). Pak Army also captured an Indian pilot.

The truth about India’s surgical strikes exposed, when Indian top civil and military leaders failed in providing any evidence. The then Indian India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj also demitted that no Pakistani soldier or citizen died in the air strike in Balakot.

Nevertheless, after the Pulwama assault, India tried to make ground for a prospective invasion of Pakistan. But, it failed in acting upon its plans to wage a conventional war due to Pakistan’s atomic weapons.

In fact, since Narendara Modi, the leader of the ruling party BJP, became Indian Prime Minister; he has been implementing ideology of Hindutva (Hindu Nationalism) by persecuting the Muslims and creating war-hysteria among the Hindus against Pakistan.

In this respect, Indian extremist rulers’ various moves such as abrogation of the special status of the Jammu and Kashmir to turn Muslim majority into minority in the Indian Held Kashmir, continued lockdown in that region, martyrdom of thousands of the Kashmiris there, issuance of a notorious map to bifurcate the Kashmir region into two union territories and introduction of new domicile law against the majority of Kashmiris, including continued shelling by the Indian forces show that New Delhi has completely ended any sort of dialogue with Islamabad to settle the Kashmir dispute.

Now, the entire world is facing the coronavirus pandemic which has, rapidly, been taking the lives of many persons. At this crucial juncture, international community is coping with this deadly virus. But, under the guise of coronavirus, India has politicised the COVID-19 epidemic by accusing the Indian Muslims and Pakistan for spreading the virus in India. Availing the opportunity, Indian rulers have imposed various kinds of restrictions on the Muslims, while Hindu extremists have set off a series of assaults against Muslims across the country.

In this connection, DG of Inter-services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj-Gen Babar Iftikhar said on April 24, this year: “Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa stated…India’s attempt to link coronavirus with Muslims and Pakistan has failed badly…New Delhi has been promoting Hindutva and saffron terrorism…The fire of hatred which was first ignited in Indian-Occupied Kashmir has now spread across India…the whole world is facing the crises due to the coronavirus pandemic…India is still adamant on promoting RSS agenda in the region”.

In its reaction to the Indian 15-Corps Command interview with BBC on April 13, 2020, Maj-Gen Babar Iftikhar termed India’s insinuation about infiltration and ceasefire violations (CFVs) “baseless” and elaborated that they were “designed to divert global and domestic attention from the “unending fiasco…No less delusional are the allegations about Pakistan infiltrating COVID-affected individuals into IOJK”.

Referring to the LoC, in a statement, ISPR pointed out on April 29, this year, “A Pakistan Army soldier and two civilians embraced martyrdom when Indian Army resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violations along the Line of Control…Pakistan Army responded effectively, resulting in heavy losses to Indian troops, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa said the Indian Army will always get a befitting response to ceasefire violations…The Indian forces along the LoC and the Working Boundary have been continuously targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars…India has committed 913 ceasefire violations this year”.

It is mentionable that Indian Defence Rajnath Singh on August 16, 2014 had threatened Pakistan with nuclear war, while BJP leader Dr. Subramaniam Swami had also stated in the same year that India needed only two years to defeat Pakistan militarily, and the only solution of Kashmir was war, as “there is no peaceful, democratic solution”.

Taking cognizance of Indian war-like diplomacy, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has, repeatedly, been stating to inform the international community and the UNO that New Delhi can arrange any Pulwama-type false flag operation to carry out another military adventure inside Pakistani side of Kashmir—and any conventional war between both the countries could result into atomic war, having “severe repercussions, if they “silently witness ethnic cleansing of Muslims in IOK… they have failed to implement the UN resolutions on Kashmir…[which] remains a nuclear flashpoint in the South Asian region”.

It is worth-mentioning that the US dropped atomic bombs on Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as Tokyo had no such devices to retaliate. After the World War 11, nuclear weapons were never used. These were only employed as a strategic threat.

Indian Military Deployment [445 × 624]
byu/gaganaut inMapPorn

Nonetheless, unlike the former Soviet Union and the US who followed the principles of nuclear deterrence, popularly known as balance of terror, war-like situation exists between New Delhi and Islamabad due to the perennial firing by the Indian forces across the LoC in wake of the unsettled issue of Kashmir. So, India’s any military adventure or a prolonged conventional conflict with Pakistan could culminate into nuclear war.

Moreover, it is owing to atomic bombs that Pakistan can talk to India with honour and dignity, discouraging India from casting an evil eye on our motherland.

However, May 28 is celebrated as Youm-e-Takbeer by all the segments of society, including general masses; as on this very day, Pakistan became the 7th declared nuclear power in the world.

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India: Gross Human Rights Abuses in Kashmir Continue

By Sajjad Shaukat

Since 1947, in order to maintain its illegal control, India has continued its repressive regime in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) through various machinations. Especially, since 1989, Indian army and paramilitary forces have been committing gross human rights abuses such as crackdowns, curfews, illegal detentions, massacre, targeted killings, extrajudicial killings, sieges, burning the houses, torture, disappearances, rape, breaking the legs, molestation of Muslim women and killing of persons through fake encounters.

But, Indian forces have broken all previous records of gross human rights abuses since August 5, 2019 when Indian extremist Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government ended the special status of the Jummu and Kashmir by abolishing articles 35A and 370 of the Constitution to turn Muslim majority into a minority in the Indian Controlled Kashmir.

More than 40 days have been passed. But, Indian forces have continued lockdown and curfew in the IOK. More restrictions have been imposed in the wake of shortage of foods and even medicines for the patients. In order to hide human rights violations, communication services have been cut off from the world and foreign journalists are not allowed to enter that region Besides, Indian extremist rulers are also escalating tensions with Pakistan to divert attention from the drastic situation of the Indian Controlled Kashmir, and have continued shelling inside Pakistani side of Kashmir.

Indian Prime Minister & his RSS Nazi Gestapo Emulate & Admire Hitler

New Delhi which already had 500,000 troops in the Indian Held Kashmir sent almost 300000 extra troops. Despite, India’s excessive deployment of troops in the Kashmir region, expulsion of Hindu pilgrims, tourists, closure of educational institutions and arrest of the Kashmiri leaders and the pellet guns shots, Kashmiris have accelerated the war of liberation, being waged for their right of self-determination, which was also recognized by the United Nations resolutions.

Human rights groups and even Western media have repeatedly condemned Indian illegal measures and human rights violations which continue unabated in the Indian Occupied Kashmir. Some references are notable in this respect.

The Independent wrote on August 13, 2019: “Kashmir’s tight security and communications lockdown remained in place…as reports emerged of daily essentials running low. Restrictions on almost all movement…were strictly enforced…With the internet and phone lines still cut off…the valley has become the setting for all-out information warfare….soldiers stopping vehicles in the centre of Srinagar, causing a traffic jam just as a military surveillance drone flew over…The network of barbed passageways was unprecedented…entire Srinagar city has been knitted in razor wire to seek our silence and obedience…closure of mosques curtailed the religious freedoms of Kashmiri Muslims…Restrictions and curtailment of this fundamental religious freedom of millions of Kashmiri Muslims constitute a serious violation of applicable international human rights law, to which India is a party.”

The New York Times wrote on August 10, 2019: “On the streets of Srinagar, Kashmir’s biggest city, security officers tied black bandannas over their faces, grabbed their guns and took positions behind checkpoints. People glanced out the windows of their homes, afraid to step outside. Many were cutting back on meals and getting hungry….Shops were shut. A.T.M.s had run dry…internet, mobile phones, even landlines…remained severed, rendering millions of people incommunicado…life under lockdown in Kashmir and found a population that felt besieged…frightened and…Several residents said they had been beaten up by security forces for simply trying to buy necessities like milk. Many Kashmiris see India as an oppressive and foreign ruler. Tens of thousands of troops from the Indian Army, the Central Reserve Police Force (a paramilitary unit) and the Kashmiri State police have been deployed in just about every corner of the valley. In some villages, even remote ones, a soldier was posted outside the gate of each family’s home….The lockdown’s effects are visible everywhere….Parks are deserted. Baby food is running out…Many doctors couldn’t get to work.…Many Kashmiris fear that Mr. Modi’s sweeping decision, which also wiped away a decades-old provision that gave Kashmiris special land ownership rights, will encourage millions of Hindu migrants from India to move into the valley…Kashmiris fear they will be turned into a minority in their own land.”

On August 29, this year, BBC pointed out: “Unprecedented restrictions have put Kashmir into a state of lockdown…In one village the residents said…Two brothers were woken up and taken to an outside area where nearly a dozen other men from the village had been gathered…They kicked us…gave us electric shocks, beat us with cables…we screamed, they sealed our mouth with mud…We told them we are innocent…they did not listen to us. I told them don’t beat us, just shoot us. I was asking God to take me because the torture was unbearable.”

Addressing the 42nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHR) in Geneva on September 10, this year, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Quereshi urged the UNHRC “to constitute a commission of inquiry for an investigation into blatant and grave human rights violations in occupied Kashmir”.

Quereshi elaborated: “The basic and inalienable human rights of Kashmiri people are being trampled with impunity by India…over 6,000 people…have been arrested, without due process of law. Many of them have been forcibly shipped to jails all over India, under draconian laws operative in Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir…New Delhi has turned Kashmir into the largest prison…India can once again resort to false-flag operations, and use the bogey of terrorism to divert international attention from atrocities in occupied Kashmir…illegal occupation of Muslim-majority Kashmir region can drive the two nuclear-armed countries into an accidental war”.

It is mentionable that Pakistan achieved the biggest success when 50 countries supported Pakistan’s stance on Indian Held Kashmir in a joint statement delivered at the UNHR in Geneva on September 10, 2019. The joint statement said: “It shares the concern expressed by the High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet regarding the impact of recent actions on the human rights of Kashmiris…the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights [OHCHR], UN Special Procedures in their joint press release of 22 August 2019, civil society organizations and international media have repeatedly expressed serious concerns about the unprecedented restrictions and on the continuous curfew imposed since fifth of last month, curbing of fundamental freedoms, communications blackout and reports of widespread torture, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, molestation of women, and enforced disappearances”.

It quoted UN Secretary-General António Guterres statement on 8th of last month that said: “The position of the United Nations on this region is governed by the Charter of the United Nations and applicable Security Council resolutions”. This position of the UN Secretary-General has also been corroborated by OHCHR‘s Kashmir Reports.

It added: “Consistent with the UN Charter, Security Council resolutions, and human rights standards and international law, the international community should ask for…Respect and protection of fundamental human rights of the people of Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir…Immediate lifting of the curfew, ending the communications shutdown and release of arbitrarily detained people… An immediate halt to the excessive use of force, especially the use of pellet guns; access of human rights organizations and international media…Implementation of the recommendations of OHCHR’s Kashmir Reports including the establishment of a UN Commission of Inquiry to investigate egregious human rights violations”. It also supported a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute through the implementation of the UNSC resolutions.

Notably, a majority of the world’s leaders’ statements regarding the situation of the IOK, Western media, including human rights groups have been giving much coverage to India’s lockdown and Modi’s illegitimate moves by indicating the sufferings of the Kashmiris. But, Indian security forces have continued human rights abuses in the IOK.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has repeatedly stated the inaction by the international community, particularly the West’s major powers who have financial interests in India could lead to conventional war which could be culminated into nuclear war between the two countries. Especially, on August 15, 2019, Prime Minister Khan has warned the international community of “severe repercussions and reactions”, if they “silently witness another Srebrenica-type massacre & ethnic cleansing of Muslims in IOK”.

In his interview with Russian TV Channel RT on September 13, 2019, PM Imran Khan once again pointed out that the Indo-Pakistani standoff took a turn for the worse after New Delhi revoked the decades-old autonomy of the part of disputed Kashmir it controls. Khan urged the world community to help to prevent the conflict from spiralling into “a nuclear hotspot” with “unimaginable” consequences. He said that he was disappointed by the lacklustre international response to the Kashmir crisis and explained: “Sadly, I would have expected the world to react much more than it has…some states may be unwilling to disrupt trade with India…I feel that [to the world community] markets, trade, material gains–I’m sad to say – are much more important than human beings”.

Earlier, in response to the threat of nuclear war by Indian Defence Rajnath Singh, addressing a press conference, Pakistan’s army’s media wing-the DG of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Maj-Gen. Asif Ghafoor stated on September 4, this year: “There is no policy of no first use of strategic capability…use of nuclear capability is political…no solution to the Kashmir issue less than the right to self-determination of Kashmir is acceptable to Pakistan…Pakistan is ready to go to any extent for Kashmir…war would become an option by compulsion and not by choice if other elements do not succeed in stopping brutalities in Held Kashmir.”

Although the US President Donald Trump reiterated his offer to mediate between India and Pakistan on September 9, 2019, yet he is only fulfilling formality because America remains determined to make India superpower in Asia to counter China while playing a double game in the region.

Undoubtedly, as the major countries like the UK, France, the US, Germany, including some other Western states are not taking practical actions against New Delhi which could also entail economic sanctions that gross human rights abuses in the Indian Occupied Kashmir continue unabated.

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is the author of the book: the US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

Email: [email protected]

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Indian State Terrorism Internationalized the Kashmir Issue

By

Sajjad Shaukat

Various forms of state terrorism by the Indian forces have continued unabated by the Indian security forces on the innocent Kashmiris in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) in wake of sieges and prolonged curfews, including arrests and detentions of the Kashmir leaders. Since July 8, 2016, Indian security forces have martyred more than 600 innocent persons who have been protesting against the martyrdom of Burhan Wani and for the liberation of their land.

Some online authentic sources suggest that recent wave of Kashmiri Intifada (Uprising) has witnessed repression by the Indian armed forces, as large numbers of the dead and injured have been youngsters. The pellet guns used by security forces have damaged the faces of 1600 people and more than 1100 people have partially or wholly lost their eyesight.

Latest reports also disclosed that Indian security forces have also used chemical weapons against the Kashmiri civilians in violation of international law and Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

However, various tactics of state terrorism have been part of a deliberate campaign by the Indian army and paramilitary forces against the Muslim Kashmiris, especially since 1989. It has been manifested in brutal tactics like crackdowns, curfews, illegal detentions, massacre, targeted killings, sieges, burning the houses, torture, disappearances, rape, breaking the legs, molestation of Muslim women and killing of persons through fake encounters.

According to a report on human rights violations in the Indian Occupied Kashmir, since 1989, there have been deaths of 1,00000 innocent Kashmiris, 8,023 custodial killings, 1,50,771 arrests, 1,40,996 destruction of houses or buildings, 24,776 women widowed, 1,60,466 children orphaned and 20,086 women gang-raped/molested. Indian brutal securities forces have continued these atrocities.

In fact, Indian forces have employed various draconian laws like the Jammu and Kashmir Disturbed Areas Act, and the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act and Public Safety Act in killing the Kashmiri people, and for the arbitrarily arrest of any individual for an indefinite period.

In this regard, besides Human Rights Watch, in its various reports, Amnesty International has also pointed out grave human rights violations in the Indian controlled Kashmir, indicating, “The Muslim majority population in the Kashmir Valley suffers from the repressive tactics of the security forces.”

In its report on July 2, 2015, the Amnesty International has highlighted extrajudicial killings of the innocent persons at the hands of Indian security forces in the Indian Held Kashmir. The report points out, “Tens of thousands of security forces are deployed in Indian-administered Kashmir…the Armed Forces Special Powers Act allows troops to shoot to kill suspected militants or arrest them without a warrant…not a single member of the armed forces has been tried in a civilian court for violating human rights in Kashmir…this lack of accountability has, in turn, facilitated other serious abuses…India has martyred one 100,000 people. More than 8,000 disappeared (while) in the custody of army and state police.”

It is of particular attention that in 2008, a rights group reported unmarked graves in 55 villages across the northern regions of the Indian-held Kashmir. In the last few years, rights groups discovered nearly 3,000 unnamed graves in the various districts of Kashmir. In this respect, in August 2011, Indian Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) had officially acknowledged in its report that innocent civilians killed in the two-decade conflict have been buried in unmarked graves. The report indicated 2,156 unidentified bodies which were found in mass graves in various regions of the Indian-held Kashmir. Now, more unmarked graves have been found.

It is mentionable that foreign sources and human rights organisations have disclosed that unnamed graves include those innocent persons, killed by the Indian military and paramilitary troops in the fake encounters including those who were tortured to death by the Indian secret agency RAW.

At present, Indian military and paramilitary troops are using all inhuman techniques of ethnic cleansing to disturb the majority population of the Kashmiris, which had been practised by the Serb forces in Bosnia and Kosovo.

Nevertheless, it is due to perennial state terrorism by the Indian security forces that Kashmir issue has been internationalized.

In this connection, European Union has passed a resolution about human rights abuses committed by Indian forces in the Indian-held Kashmir.

With the acceleration of the new Intifada, Indian is losing ‘illegitimate’ control in the Indian-held Kashmir.

Meanwhile, India arranged various false flag operations, especially that one which occurred at a military base in Uri on September 18, 2016. By manipulating this false flag operation, the BJP-led Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi not only shifted the blame game towards Islamabad but has also intensified war-hysteria against Pakistan. And Indian forces have continued shelling at the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistani side of Azad Kashmir. While, Pakistani troops are giving a matching response to Indian unprovoked firing and are well-prepared for atomic war, as threatened by Indian army chief Gen. Bipin Rawat on January 14, this year. However, New Delhi’s main aim is to deflect the attention of the international community from the new phase of Kashmiri Intifada, while pressure has been mounting on the Modi government both domestically and internationally to resolve the dispute of Kashmir with Islamabad.

Nevertheless, it owing to Indian cruel tactics that besides the media of Pakistan and India, Western media, including various politicians and UNO has pointed out India’s state terrorism on the Kashmiris who have been demanding their legitimate right of self-determination, as recognized by the UN resolutions.

In this respect, Pakistan’s recent serious and sincere effort in the United Nations for pointing out the brutal tactics of the Indian security forces in the Indian-held Kashmir and emphasizing upon the international community for settlement of this old issue is noteworthy.

In the recent past Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Maleeha Lodhi reminded the UN officials of their duty to ensure that the rights of Kashmiris are protected. In her statement, she said, “Dubbing the Kashmiris, agitating for their right to self-determination, as terrorists was a travesty of truth and were further inflaming passions…This is perhaps the most important dimension of the Kashmir issue as the Indian government has repeatedly tried to delegitimise the freedom movement in Kashmir by declaring it to be a fringe movement of terrorists backed by Pakistan. The fact that the Indian government has conveniently ignored the wide support for the freedom movement is an indication that India is not even interested in genuinely addressing the grievances of the Kashmiri people. Even in the recent uprising in Kashmir following the killing of commander Burhan Wani…Surely, such big numbers of victims cannot be the result of Pakistan backed militants and devoid of indigenous grievances towards the Indian government…The attention of international community…must be turned towards the Kashmir issue.”

In response to the letter of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, on August 19, 2016, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon deplored the killings of the Kashmiris in Indian-held Kashmir, and urged India and Pakistan to settle Kashmir and other issues through dialogue by offering his “good offices”.

During his visit to Pakistan, in the joint press conference with the former Prime Minister Sharif on November 17, 2016, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged for an immediate resolution of the Kashmir dispute and stated that “the escalating tensions on the Pakistan-India border and the atrocities in Kashmir cannot be ignored. He elaborated, “The Turkish government and the Turkish nation stand in solidarity with the Kashmiri people.”

Earlier, the visiting Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Ayad Ameen Madani in Islamabad expressed grave concern over extra-judicial killings of people in the Indian Occupied Kashmir and added, “OIC will support Pakistan on Kashmir issue”.

Western politicians and media have also taken serious notice of the deteriorating situation of Kashmir. For instance, the Italian Minister for Defence, Mrs Roberta Pinotti who visited Pakistan said on September 19, 2016, that her country “opposes the use of force and lethal weapons against peaceful protestors in Kashmir…it cannot be allowed to go on.” She further said that Italy will apprise the international community about what is going on in Indian held Kashmir.

West’s renowned TV channels and newspapers are giving appropriate coverage to the ongoing uprising in Kashmir while pointing out Indian atrocities. For example, with the title, “India’s crackdown in Kashmir: is this the world’s first mass blinding?”, The Guardian wrote on November 8, 2016, “The Long Read: A bloody summer of protest in Kashmir has been met with a ruthless response from Indian security forces, who fired hundreds of thousands of metal pellets into crowds of civilians, leaving hundreds blinded.”

It is notable that on the occasion of Indian Republic Day on January 26, 2018, a demonstration was organized by Kashmir Council EU in front of Indian Embassy in Brussels, the capital of Belgium. Holding placards and banners with a number of slogans against India, a large number of the people from different walks—the protesters called for the immediate end of Indian atrocities in Indian-controlled Kashmir while raising slogans against the human rights violations there.

Nonetheless, Indian perennial state terrorism in the Indian Occupied Kashmir has internationalized the Kashmir issue.

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: The US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

Email: [email protected]

A Rally on

Kashmir Solidarity Day

Organized by

MUSLIM Institute

MUSLIM Institute organized a rally from China Chowk to National Press Club Islamabad on Kashmir Solidarity Day, February 05, 2017. Chairman MUSLIM Institute, Sahibzada Sultan Ahmad Ali, MNA & Chairman Standing Committee on Kashmir & Gilgit Baltistan, Malik Ibrar Ahmad, Leaders of All Parties Hurriyat Conference Ms. Shameem Shal, Mr. Ghulam Nabi Butt and others led the rally and shared their views. A large number of people from different walks of life including civil society, politicians, students, lawyers and journalists actively participated in the rally. Participants of rally chanted slogans while carrying placards and banners inscribed with the demands for the immediate end of brutalities of Indian forces in IOK, right of self-determination for Kashmiris as well as profound tributes to their struggle for independence. They also displayed solidarity with Kashmiris and condemned state terrorism by Indian forces in the occupied territory while demanding serious efforts by the international community for the settlement of the Kashmir issue.

Speakers expressed their views that in past 69 years particularly in last eight months India is involved in state terrorism in Indian occupied Kashmir (IOK), and used barbaric force to suppress Kashmiris and by the use of pallet guns blinded young people and innocent children and artificial food scarcity is created in the state. By imposing black laws and employing violent force Indian occupying forces are brutalizing Kashmiri people despite the fact that Kashmiri people have not surrendered in front of brutal force and with each passing day Kashmir movement is getting more zeal and zest. The steadfastness of Kashmiris has proved that they are not going to accept any option other than freedom. Even in the cross firing Kashmiris raise the slogan that we will take freedom, freedom is our right, we will snatch freedom and Kashmir will become part of Pakistan.

Due to state terrorism, India has gained no support on an international level and no one supports India’s stance on this issue. Through its propaganda machine, India wanted to show the world that Kashmir struggle is terrorist and separatist movement but badly failed. Contrary to this the just and peaceful Kashmiri struggle is getting support in United Nations and Europe. International media is denied any access in IOK despite the fact atrocities committed against Kashmiri people are being condemned at international level. The prevalent situation of blatant violations of Human rights in IOK also urges for an unbiased investigation. Kashmir freedom movement has proved to the International world that Kashmiri people are brave, high-minded and freedom fighter and who didn’t compromise their determination of freedom for any greed or compensation. This is the reason why hearts of Pakistani people beats with Kashmiri people and Pakistanis are standing alongside Kashmiris till the Day of Judgment. As the Pakistani flag is waived on the funerals of Kashmiri likewise Pakistanis support Kashmiri people and will leave no stone unturned for their right and will offer any kind of sacrifice. Souls of Pakistanis shiver when Kashmiris raise the slogans ‘Kashmir will become Pakistan’.

An analysis of Kashmir issue from historical viewpoint manifests that India promised Kashmiris the right of self-determination under the umbrella of United Nations’ Security Council. Recorded assertions of former Indian Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru in UN further strengthen this precept. Later on, Indian leadership averted back from its promises and started declaring Kashmir as its integral part. UN resolutions clearly endorse the plebiscite in the presence of a neutral observer and Kashmiris will be free in choosing their accession with Pakistan or India. Indian dogmatism has been the sole impediment regarding UN’s failure in implementing resolutions addressing Kashmir dispute. Quaid-e-Azam declared Kashmir jugular vein of Pakistan just because of cultural and ideological association between Kashmiris and Pakistanis even Pakistan’s land is dependent upon rivers flowing from the valley of Kashmir. India is tightening its perpetual hold over the valley day to day. It does not care about the brutality of machinations committed against Kashmiris in order to prolong its hold. India is further machinating to subdue the special constitutional status of Kashmir which is absolutely illegal and immoral. Furthermore, the international community has also condemned it.

Speakers stressed upon the Pakistani government to further escalate efforts in order to re-energize Kashmir issue at international level. They further emphasized the need of encouraging diplomats designated in foreign embassies to highlight political, diplomatic and historical perspectives regarding Kashmir issue in front of the international community in general and international leaders in particular. The government of Pakistan should make it clear to the international community that regional peace is directly proportional to the settlement of Kashmir issue. India and Pakistan hold nuclear arms and there exists potential threat of becoming Kashmir dispute, a nuclear flash point. The issue should immediately be resolved in accordance with UN’s resolutions. Re-structuring of Kashmir committee is of prime importance, it will help in highlighting the issue at parliamentary level. In the wake of the world becoming a global village, it is our social as well as moral responsibility to mobilize all possible means to highlight the issue, particularly on social media.

With the end of rally, Chairman Muslim Institute, Sahibzada Sultan Ahmad Ali visited United Nations Office in Islamabad and presented memorandum of Kashmir issue to resident coordinator UN, Mr. Neil Buhne, addressing to the Secretary-General of United Nations, António Guterres to take notice of the recent cruel actions of India in IOK, which also stated that wails and woes of Kashmiri people, struggling for their right of self-determination remind UNO to play its role to resolve the issue according to UNSC resolutions by providing the basic human right (right of self-determination) to the people of Jammu & Kashmir.

The Liberal Free Thinkers of the Canada (Like PM Justin Trudeau), United States(Senator Feinstein, Senator Schumer), United Kingdom, Japan, and European Union Please Raise Your Voices

For the Oppressed People of Indian Occupied Kashmir

See the brutality of Indian Army Perpetrated on Un-Armed Kashmiris Yearning to Join Pakistan