Future of Kashmir issue after Ilhan Omar’s visit
ILHAN Omar, who made history as one of first two Muslim women elected to US Congress, arrived in Islamabad on a four-day visit to Pakistan last week.
During her maiden visit to Pakistan, US Congresswomen Omar had met with Pakistan’s top leadership and paid a visit to Azad Jammu and Kashmir as part of her visit.
Omar, a vocal lawmaker who has raised the issues of Islamophobia, Palestine and Kashmir in and outside of US Congress also met former PM Imran Khan in Islamabad.
During meeting with US Congresswomen, PM Shehbaz Sharif hoped that Omar’s visit would lead to a deepening of people-to-people ties and strengthen exchanges between Parliament of Pakistan and US Congress.
There have been several explanations about her trip. One of the more plausible ones is that her constituency has a sizeable Muslim population and she has herself worked extensively on Islamophobia and may have wished to connect with Pakistan, which had highlighted the issue leading to UN designating 15 March as International Day to combat Islamophobia
Ilhan Omar acknowledged that Kashmir dispute was not being talked about in power centres of US at the required level, but expressed the hope that the situation would change.
At an interaction with local media at President House of AJK, Omar said on the question of Kashmir, we held a committee hearing on the Foreign Affairs Committee to look at the reports of human rights violations and to talk about the bigger issue with Modi government’s anti-Muslim rhetoric and how that’s leading to human rights violations as well.
On the occasion, Azad Jammu & Kashmir President Barrister Sultan Mahmood was present. She, however, expressed the hope that her visit would pave the way for many more conversations on Kashmir issue.
And that the condemnations and concerns of those who fight for human rights and the question of the Kashmir issue will be included in those hearings, she said.
We are deeply worried about India’s August 5, 2019 move, she told the AJK President.
Omar has staunchly supported Kashmiris in India-Occupied Kashmir and has often tweeted her support for them.
In 2019 after the annexation of Kashmir by PM Modi, Omer had called for an immediate restoration of communication; respect for human rights, democratic norms and religious freedom; and de-escalation in Kashmir, saying that the international organisations should be allowed to fully document what is happening on the ground.
It’s not the first time that Ms Omar, a Somali-American who belongs to President Biden’s Democratic Party, has drawn attention to India’s poor human rights record.
In early April, she questioned the alleged reluctance of the US government to criticise PM Modi’s government on human rights.
Likewise, the visit of US lawmakers to AJK has irked Indian media and government circles.
Both Indian media and government viewed through the prism of IIOJK and vehemently criticized Ilhan Omar’s open and fair interactions with local Kashmiri people who have been targeted by Indian Army across Loc.
Indian Media even called the visit as pre-planned activity of Pakistan to malign India over flimsy grounds.
India also condemned Omar’s visit to AJK by saying that her travel to the region violated the country’s sovereignty and it reflected her narrow-minded politics.
But the reality is contrary to Indian claims. Pakistan allowed Ilhan Omar to freely roam around AJK to see development in the valley, which US lawmaker acknowledged.
Some residents, who had been affected by Indian shelling prior to the ceasefire, had also gathered there and shared their tales of horror with the visitors.
But on the other hand, India has failed to take foreign diplomats to IIOJK and arrange their open and free interactions with local Kashmiri people.
This is the major difference here. Both Indian government and media are reluctant about that issue. Since the abrogation of Article-370 and 35-A in IIOJK, there is no normalcy in the region.
If Indian claims regarding normalcy in IIOJK are true, they must open the valley to foreign media, diplomats and organizations immediately so that they can assess ground situation after the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A.
If they simply can’t do that, then they must not comment on AJK as Pakistan has been providing all the best possible facilities to the people in the valley.
And, the region is also open to entire international community to take stock of the ground situation.
The visit of US lawmaker to Pakistan and AJK is likely to pave the way for more cooperation between two countries and help Islamabad to make Biden Administration realize how sensitive IIOJK issue is and how India is making the life of Kashmiri people miserable by using unconstitutional and illegitimate tactics.
The visit may help the US in understanding Pakistan’s position regarding the human rights violations in IIOJK by India.
—The Islamabad-based writer is expert in Indian political affairs.
