World must end criminal silence over deteriorating situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir: PM AJ&K
India is using intimidation and coercion as weapons of state in occupied Kashmir. It is now the moral duty of the UNSC and international community to end their criminal silence and stop India from pursuing its hegemonic designs, which have escalated after it abrogated the article 370 and 35-A on August 5.
The call was made by Raja Farooq Haider, Prime Minister, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K), while addressing an international seminar titled ‘Kashmir: The Issue, Global Scenario and Policy Imperatives’ which was organized by Institute of Policy Studies(IPS), Islamabad, in collaboration with Policy Research Forum, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (PRFAJK) and Maritime Study Forum (MSF) on November 26, 2019.
Chaired by former senator Javed Jabbar, the event was also addressed by national and international speakers of high stature including Khalid Rahman, executive president, IPS, Professor Dr Roger van Zwanenberg, a veteran scholar of history and political economy based in London, Professor Dr Yashpal Amarchand Tandon, a Ugandian-British policymaker of Indian descent, Dr Akis Kalaitzidis, professor of political science at the Department of Government, International Studies and Languages, University of Central Missouri, USA, Prof Dr Halil Toker, Istanbul University, Syed Iftikhar Gilani, a senior journalist from Indian Occupied Kashmir, now based in Ankara, Dr Asma Shakir Khwaja, associate professor, National Defence University (NDU), Prof Dr Nazir Hussain, director, School of Politics and International Relations, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Prof Dr Fazl ul Hadi Wazeen, an academic and politician based in Kabul, Dr Syed Muhammad Anwer, former deputy attorney general of Pakistan and president MSF, Air Cdr (r) Khalid Iqbal, senior security analyst and member IPS National Academic Council, and Farzana Yaqoob, IPS associate and a former member, Legislative Assembly of AJ&K.
Haider, in his keynote speech, said that over 100 days have passed since India laid siege to occupied Kashmir, imposed curfew, and violated UN resolutions as well as all international and national agreements in the process. During this period, the Indian army has arrested thousands of citizens, including Kashmiri leaders, and meted out inhuman treatment to the youth of Kashmir under the garb of so-called house searches. There have been severe human rights violations in IoK and widespread incidents of brutal torture, rape, mass killings, forced disappearances, use of pellet guns and human shields have been reported; and sadly all this has been carried out as the occupying state’s policy with all its institutions – including legislature, executive, judiciary and armed forces – forming a part of it.
He said that on one the hand there is a crippling clampdown on communication in a place where journalists are protesting for their right to speak, whereas on the other the Indian media is mastering the art of biased and fake reporting, trying to paint a false picture of normalcy in IoK. Along with human rights violations, the economic loss of the state has been catastrophic and is leading to severe humanitarian crisis. According to the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry(KCCI), the economic losses ran into least 100 billion rupees ($1.40 billion) by September, he added.
Haider maintained that the provisional arrangements that India had made through Articles 35-A and 370 were just eyewash and now their revocation has been done only to pave the way to change demography in the held territory, which is not only a violation of international law and the UN resolutions, but is also considered a war crime under Geneva Convention. The fact that India had to use its reinforced might in the territory even after occupying it for over 70 years is proof enough that the region seeks a different solution. This is not the first time that the determination of Kashmiris has been put to the test, their unwavering and unfailing spirit however has always remained firm, authenticating that their right of self-determination must be recognized.
The onus, according to Haider, was now on the UN Security Council to stop treating Kashmir as an orphan of a global family and set up an international commission of inquiry to examine the real situation prevailing in the held territory. If the international community fails to resolve the Kashmir issue through peaceful political means and in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people through immediate and fair plebiscite, the possibility of Kashmiri people having to opt for undesired means cannot be ruled out, he stressed.
The AJ&K premier also urged Pakistan to adopt innovative and proactive approach while making use of efficient diplomacy to strengthen its voice for the Kashmir cause, maintaining that it is majorly a handful of countries to which we should deliver our message across in a bid to raise international awareness over the issue.
Jabbar said that Kashmir is the region with the highest number of soldiers in the world whereas the Kashmiris are struggling for their identity for over 70 years. They have been facing atrocities and oppression all this long, and now there is also illegal annexation, imposition of a curfew and use of pallet guns. He stated that Pakistan today is the sole custodian of Kashmir cause as a nation state and for that purpose, we need to create solidarity not only within our ranks but the rest of the world as well. With 8 million people locked up for over 100 days, there is surely so much to be done. We need to get our message across to those states around the world which believe in democracy and that can be done through reinforced diplomatic strategy and by investing in media.
Prof Dr Roger van Zwanenberg talked about the extent and depth of neo-liberalism and global political economy, maintaining how the phenomenon has affected the geo-strategic dynamics of South Asia as well. After presenting a brief history of pre-partition scenario, Roger said that the conundrum that is Kashmir today is everyone’s problem and needs an urgent solution. Pakistan can take the lead in this regard, and with the key role of Britain and the UN, and support of China and European Union, the solution should be sought.
Professor Dr Yashpal Amarchand Tondon shed light into the geo-politics of the area as well of the ongoing era. Briefly discussing his views on the history of the disputed region, he expressed his fears over any sort of Indo-Pak conflict. Stressing on diffusing all sorts of rifts between the two countries, he warned that the possibilities of a nuclear war cannot be ruled out if the tensions between the two countries escalates to that point.
Prof Dr Halil Toker severy critized the lockdown of Indian occupied Kashmir post August 5. He termed India an occupational force that was committing human rights violations in the region. He stressed that Muslim countries of the world need to connect with each other to resolve the issue, whereas media also has a huge role to play bridging activists and leaders of Kashmir with the leaders of the world in order to present the true picture of situation in IoK.
Dr Akis Kalaitzidis expressed his disappointment that the impact of India’s coercive actions was not felt internationally as much as it should have been. He viewed that the human rights organizations on ground had a bigger role to play in this regard. He advised on creating a network of such organizations to disrupt India’s aggression in the region, viewing that sustaining and enlarging these networks would be the quickest way to bring the on ground situation in Kashmir to global attention.
Prof Dr Fazl ul Hadi Wazeen viewed that the tensions between India and Pakistan were not only problematic for the two countries but for the whole region. He said that the situation of Kashmir had an impact on Middle East as well. He stressed that both countries should try to resolve the Kashmir issue in a very peaceful way, a failure in doing so can lead to very undesirable consequences.
Dr Nazir Hussain lamented that there is no connect between academic research and policymaking in Pakistan over Kashmir issue for the last 70 years. He stressed on backing the policies over Kashmir by generating a strong academic discourse in a bid to make our narrative over the issue more logical and cogent.
Air Cdr (r) Khalid Iqbal opined that states and societies of today are becoming increasingly polarized and the trend is spreading in all parts of the world. The phenomenon is resulting in the rise of far right elements, a reflection of which has been on display in IoK as well as in India itself.
Dr Asma Shakir Khwaja pointed that Kashmir is the only Muslim majority state within the area controlled by India and hence serves as a representation how the country would treat the Muslims in India itself. She said that Hindutva is the resurgence of Hindu nationalism. It encourages power centralization and believes in building walls within the society. India says that it has taken steps to annex Kashmir for the betterment of its people, but in reality it believes and is practicing the use of fear as a tool when it is not able to win the heart and mind of the people of Kashmir.
Rahman, earlier in his opening speech, said that Kashmir is an incomplete agenda of the subcontinent’s partition as well as the oldest issue on the UN list as it has both regional and global implications associated with it.
He said that Kashmir’s struggle is ongoing for long as India has been denying their rights for over 70 years. Now the Maoist Indian government has played its final tactics in Kashmir, there has been an illegal annexation, there is a curfew in place for over 100 days and there are severe human rights violations taking place over there.
Speaking of the role of the UN as well as the international community over the matter, Rahman questioned what is the global response after India’s action of August 5, especially after the statements of China, Turkey and Malaysia in UNGA favoring Kashmiris? Rahman stressed that the curfew in IoK must urgently be lifted, Indian troops should return back, prisoners must be released and the people of Kashmir must be given a fair chance to exercise their right of self-determination sooner rather than later.
Summarizing, all the national and international speakers present on the occasion highlighted the importance of Kashmir for peace and stability in the subcontinent, encapsulating repercussions of the Kashmir standoff if not addressed early. The speakers maintained that researchers, scholars, media and the civil society all have an important role to play in the resolution of the issue as the prevailing situation is not in the benefit for any country individually or for the region as whole.
