Kashmir dispute and Pakistan
Courtesy:- Malik M Ashraf
Indian insistence that Kashmir is its integral part, is not only the most preposterous contention but also constitutes an affront to the world community and the UN whose 23 resolutions on the subject invariably recognise Kashmir as a disputed territory and emphasise the settlement of the question of accession of the state through a plebiscite. This assertion also makes mockery of the repeated commitments given by Nehru and Lord Mountbatten to resolve the Kashmir issue by allowing the people to exercise their right of self-determination.
The other very cogent question is how can half of the Kashmiri people decide the fate of the state on behalf of the other half who never were part of the exercise stage-managed by India to circumvent the UN resolution. It is quite evident that the Indian stance on Kashmir has no moral and legal basis. The freedom movement in Occupied Kashmir is also a ranting testimony to the fact that the people of occupied Kashmir have not accepted the so-called accession of Kashmir to India. Let us for a moment concede that the Indian claim is right, then how could it kill 51 of its own people through indiscriminate firing on the protestors and use pellet guns to disperse the crowds which is the most inhuman ploy to deal with people protesting for their rights?
Had the Indian security forces and law enforcing agencies killed even one protesting Hindu the way they are engaged in the massacre of the people of Kashmir, the whole country would have been on fire. The fact that the people of India, its politicians and the government have not even lamented the loss of human lives, proves beyond an iota of doubt that in the heart of their hearts they feel that the people of Kashmir are not part of Indian social and political milieu and therefore why should they bother about the oppression let loose on them.
This brazen and shameless violation of human rights in Occupied Kashmir is enough to unveil the ugly face of the Indian democracy and their feigned love for human values. The statement by Sushma that Pakistan was interfering in the internal affairs of India is factually incorrect, legally untenable and indeed a violation of the international law and UNSC resolution, as rightly pointed out by Nawaz Sharif while presiding over the meeting of National Security Committee, which decided to approach the United Nation Human Rights Commission urging it to send a fact-finding mission to Indian Occupied Kashmir for investigating the slaughter of the innocent civilians and to ban the use of pellet guns. Pakistan being a party to the Kashmir dispute is very much entitled to lend moral, political and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir and also sensitize the world community about what was happening in Occupied Kashmir. The existence of the Simla agreement which recognizes Kashmir as a disputed territory reiterating its resolution through bilateral negotiations also contradicts the position taken by India on Kashmir and its claim of Pakistan interfering in the internal affairs of India.
Freedom struggles have no time line for their success but it is an irrefutable reality that such movements cannot be suppressed through oppression. They however need to be nurtured and strengthened through messages of hope and righteousness of the cause. Terming them a rhetoric and wishful thinking that could bring more harm to people of Kashmir and Pakistan, by a section of the Pakistani media, is tantamount to an unsolicited indiscretion.
One needs to be a little more circumspect and discreet while commenting on issues like Kashmir. Indian media invariably supports the actions of the Indian government in Kashmir and its stated position on the issue, notwithstanding the inhuman treatment being meted out to the people of Kashmir, who are fighting for their legitimate and legal right of self-determination. A similar kind of approach by Pakistani media is required to boost the morale of the people of Kashmir and lending support to the government in fighting the case of the people of Kashmir on the international level.
The apathy and insensitivity exhibited by the international community, UN and powers like USA to the suffering of the people of Kashmir is very regrettable. How could they remain silent on cold-blooded murders of more than fifty human beings fighting for their legitimate and fundamental right of self-determination? By remaining indifferent to what is happening in Kashmir, they are encouraging India to continue with its oppressive policies and possibly paving the way for a likely confrontation between Pakistan and India endangering peace and security in the region. The issue of Kashmir needs to be resolved in conformity with the UN resolutions as it cannot be settled through the barrel of the Indian guns.
Indian insistence that Kashmir is its integral part, is not only the most preposterous contention but also constitutes an affront to the world community and the UN whose 23 resolutions on the subject invariably recognise Kashmir as a disputed territory and emphasise the settlement of the question of accession of the state through a plebiscite. This assertion also makes mockery of the repeated commitments given by Nehru and Lord Mountbatten to resolve the Kashmir issue by allowing the people to exercise their right of self-determination.
The other very cogent question is how can half of the Kashmiri people decide the fate of the state on behalf of the other half who never were part of the exercise stage-managed by India to circumvent the UN resolution. It is quite evident that the Indian stance on Kashmir has no moral and legal basis. The freedom movement in Occupied Kashmir is also a ranting testimony to the fact that the people of occupied Kashmir have not accepted the so-called accession of Kashmir to India. Let us for a moment concede that the Indian claim is right, then how could it kill 51 of its own people through indiscriminate firing on the protestors and use pellet guns to disperse the crowds which is the most inhuman ploy to deal with people protesting for their rights?
Had the Indian security forces and law enforcing agencies killed even one protesting Hindu the way they are engaged in the massacre of the people of Kashmir, the whole country would have been on fire. The fact that the people of India, its politicians and the government have not even lamented the loss of human lives, proves beyond an iota of doubt that in the heart of their hearts they feel that the people of Kashmir are not part of Indian social and political milieu and therefore why should they bother about the oppression let loose on them.
This brazen and shameless violation of human rights in Occupied Kashmir is enough to unveil the ugly face of the Indian democracy and their feigned love for human values. The statement by Sushma that Pakistan was interfering in the internal affairs of India is factually incorrect, legally untenable and indeed a violation of the international law and UNSC resolution, as rightly pointed out by Nawaz Sharif while presiding over the meeting of National Security Committee, which decided to approach the United Nation Human Rights Commission urging it to send a fact-finding mission to Indian Occupied Kashmir for investigating the slaughter of the innocent civilians and to ban the use of pellet guns. Pakistan being a party to the Kashmir dispute is very much entitled to lend moral, political and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir and also sensitize the world community about what was happening in Occupied Kashmir. The existence of the Simla agreement which recognizes Kashmir as a disputed territory reiterating its resolution through bilateral negotiations also contradicts the position taken by India on Kashmir and its claim of Pakistan interfering in the internal affairs of India.
Freedom struggles have no time line for their success but it is an irrefutable reality that such movements cannot be suppressed through oppression. They however need to be nurtured and strengthened through messages of hope and righteousness of the cause. Terming them a rhetoric and wishful thinking that could bring more harm to people of Kashmir and Pakistan, by a section of the Pakistani media, is tantamount to an unsolicited indiscretion.
One needs to be a little more circumspect and discreet while commenting on issues like Kashmir. Indian media invariably supports the actions of the Indian government in Kashmir and its stated position on the issue, notwithstanding the inhuman treatment being meted out to the people of Kashmir, who are fighting for their legitimate and legal right of self-determination. A similar kind of approach by Pakistani media is required to boost the morale of the people of Kashmir and lending support to the government in fighting the case of the people of Kashmir on the international level.
The apathy and insensitivity exhibited by the international community, UN and powers like USA to the suffering of the people of Kashmir is very regrettable. How could they remain silent on cold-blooded murders of more than fifty human beings fighting for their legitimate and fundamental right of self-determination? By remaining indifferent to what is happening in Kashmir, they are encouraging India to continue with its oppressive policies and possibly paving the way for a likely confrontation between Pakistan and India endangering peace and security in the region. The issue of Kashmir needs to be resolved in conformity with the UN resolutions as it cannot be settled through the barrel of the Indian guns.
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