Like Jammu and Kashmir, people of Junagadh too are waging a struggle for the last 75 years seeking an end to the illegal occupation of their state by India.
Junagadh is included in the political map of Pakistan and the issue is still pending before the United Nations for over seven decades but regrettably it is not receiving the kind of attention that it deserves despite the fact that it is a principle-based issue and concerns fundamental rights of the people.
It is in this backdrop that Nawab of Junagadh state, Muhammad Jahangir Khanji has demanded of the government of Pakistan to establish Junagadh Secretariat in Islamabad with a view to creating awareness about the issue among Pakistanis and raising it at global level as well.
Speaking in connection with the day of fall of Junagadh, he said the occupation of the state was illegal and they will continue their (just) struggle till success.
Junagadh’s accession to Pakistan on 15 September 1947 was the first test of the Indian Independence Act of July 1947, which allowed the princely states to accede to either of the two dominions or remain independent.
Nawab of the Junagadh, Mahabat Khanji, signed the Instrument of Accession with Pakistan which was approved by the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan.
However, India decided to take unilateral action and sent its troops to Junagadh State. Irrespective of the fact that Junagadh had a territory of 4,000 square miles and 100 mile coastline along the Arabian Sea with many ports, the issue involves bigger questions of international laws, principles, rules governing partition of the sub-continent, illegalities and forcible occupation that need to be agitated at all forums.
The issue also has a humanitarian angle as over 2.5 million people of Junagadh are living in Pakistan.
Nawab of Junagadh is making a legitimate demand for establishment of a permanent secretariat in Islamabad so that systematic work is done to highlight the issue at local as well as international levels.
We hope the Government of Pakistan would not only provide material and financial support for establishment of such a secretariat but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant institutions would also extend necessary support for the noble cause of projection of the issue in its right perspective.
