REVOCATION of special status of occupied Kashmir by India in complete violation of all international laws including UN Security Council resolutions and the clampdown that is continuing in the territory ever since 5th August indeed has put the Kashmir dispute on the international radar like never before.
Credit for this definitely goes firstly to the Kashmiri people who are standing firm against the Indian tyranny and persecution and then to the incumbent Pakistani leadership who have mounted a strong diplomatic offensive to truly highlight the plight of Kashmiri people and expose the ugly Indian designs. Tension between nuclear armed neighbours – Pakistan and India – on Kashmir is something that the world community especially the United States cannot remain oblivious to it. This is the reason that over the last few days one has seen President Donald Trump taking the Kashmir issue very seriously and making efforts to defuse tension between Pakistan and India. Firstly, he made telephonic contacts with Prime Minister Imran Khan and the Indian PM Narendra Modi and then whilst talking to the media at the White House reiterated that he would do his best to mediate on the explosive and complicated Kashmir dispute. Trump said that he would discuss this possibility over the weekend with Narendra Modi when he is slated to meet him at the G-7 Summit in Biarritz, France. The US President has repeated the mediation offer regardless of the fact that India earlier rejected the same. This shows for the first time the real seriousness of Washington on Kashmir dispute. India has always been strongly averse to any third party mediation but given the character of Donald Trump of routinely doing impossible things and the US being the superpower can use its clout and influence on New Delhi to move towards the resolution of the festering dispute as it is the only course to ensure durable peace and security in South Asia. The voice of Kashmiri people has now also started resonating in the US Congress where key lawmakers are urging New Delhi to end the occupation and allow its residents to speak. Congressman Adam Smith, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, called India’s US Ambassador on Tuesday and expressed his concern over ongoing communications blackout, increased militarization of the region and enforcement of curfews. Then Congresswoman Yvette Clarke of New York addressing PM Modi said, “He has no right to do what he is doing to the people of Kashmir, and it is up to us to raise our voices for justice, self-governance and for no discrimination based on religion.” These indeed are positive vibes that are emanating from the world’s most important capital Washington in support of Kashmiri people who expect the same kind of support from other major capitals especially the Arab world. As PM Imran Khan has declared himself as the Ambassador of Kashmir, we are confident that he and his team will continue to present the true picture of human rights violations in occupied Kashmir to the world leaders and forums and keep reminding them of their obligations to the resolution of the dispute. We have to keep the dispute alive and on the international radar till the Kashmiris get their right to self determination. As the UN General Assembly session is scheduled next month, PM Khan has directed the PTI leadership in Washington to mobilize community members and the human rights organizations for the protest against the Indian Prime Minister on the eve of the UNGA session. Actually there is need to unmask the true face of Modi before the world who already stands exposed because of his extremist RSS mindset. Pakistani and Kashmiri expatriates need to come forward in big numbers to tell the world as to what kind of brutalities and human rights violations the people of occupied Kashmir are currently faced with.
