Each year, Government and People of Pakistan celebrate 5th February as a solidarity day with people of Jammu and Kashmir. The primary focus of this solidarity is the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), who have suffered massive human rights violations at the hands of Indian security forces since 1990. Kashmir solidarity day-2024 is being celebrated in an environment, when Pakistan is heading for general elections and political stability in the country. This year Kashmirsolidarity day aims at attaining sixobjectives: a) restoration of pre August 5, 2019 special status of IIIOJK,which India revoked through Jammu and Kashmir Re-organization Act-2019 in complete violation of UNCIP Resolutions and in violation of IIOJK Constitution, b) emphasizing India to stop human rights violations and genocide of Kashmiris in IIOJK, c) stressing India to stop making demographic changes in IIOJK, d) creating an awareness among international community about unresolved nature of Kashmir dispute, e) reminding United Nations that this international body is still lacking in implementation of its resolutions on Kashmir, and f) re-assuring the people of Jammu and Kashmir that, Pakistani State and its people stand with Kashmiris in their struggle for right of self-determination.
Apart from massive human right violations by Indian security forces, the occupied State is in a state of constant siege and surveillance while Indian forces and RSS militants are free to kill,torture and arrest any innocent Kashmiri. Whereas, the Kashmiri leadership of IIOJK is already in jails the people are facing a situation an open prison in extreme cold winter where there is a freezing temperature in the Valley. Thousands of Kashmiris have been killed and injured since August 5, 2019. Besides, thousands of the youth have been taken to torture centres and prisons outside the state boundaries in various parts of Indian. Indeed, the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A were meant to rehabilitate the Non-Kashmiri Hindus in IIOJK. Non Kashmiri Hindus from all parts of India are being allotted the land in IIOJK for making demographic changes. All the demographic changes are aimed to convert the Muslim majority into minority.
Reportedly, Hindu nationalist paramilitary volunteer of RashtriyaSwayamsevakSangh (RSS), Youth wing of Bajrang Dal (BD) the religious Hindu militant organisation of the Vishva Hindu Parishad have been moved into the Valley to terrorize the Muslim Kashmiri masses. Since last over four years, these Indian state sponsored militants have killed hundreds of Kashmiri youth, torched and detonated houses and raped Kashmiri Muslim women folk in Jammu and Valley areas. These terrorist groups have been given total impunity and freedom by the BJP Government under Modi. Unfortunately, there is no response from the international community over this illegal India act and India is taking advantage of this international silence and insensitive Muslim world. Rather the Muslim states of Middle East are supporting India through enhanced collaboration with New Delhi.
The State of Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan have historical relationship, which dates back to centuries. This relationship have rooted in the joint history of these two areas over the years and later turned into a relationship of interdependency. Religious harmony, common culture, joint races on both-sides, migrations and inter-marriages further strengthened this bond between the people of two sides. Besides, these linkages, geography of the Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan are another compelling factor, which essentially unite these areas. All natural routes to various parts of the Jammu and Kashmir are from Pakistan. The only link, India exploited in 1947, through Gurdaspur (PathanKot) was an un-natural link, which India manipulated through Radcliff Award, through an unfounded division of Punjab.
Over the last seventy-sixyears, Kashmiri did not reconcile with the Indian rule over their state and revolted many a time against forceful Indian occupation. In the last struggle, started in 1990, over 100,000 Kashmiri people lost their lives at the hands of brutal Indian security forces. Indian Army and paramilitary forces are still continuing with their brutalities in IIOJK, taking cover of discriminatory and inhuman laws, India specially imposed ever since 1990s. Despite heavy Indian military deployment (900,000 Indian troops) in IIOJK, it could not defeat the will of Kashmiris for attainment of their right of self-determination, thus forcefully and illegally changing the status of IIOJK.
Over the years, Kashmir dispute has become a humanitarian issue, under the massive human rights violations in IIOJK at the hands of Indian security forces. In fact, there is a state sponsor terrorism and organized campaign of genocide going on in IIOJK. This is indeed the darkest aspect of India, which international community, major powers and UN are constantly ignoring. Although, United Nations, Amnesty International and many other human rights organizations have been raising their concern over Indian human rights violationsbut there have been no action against India on those accounts.
Rather, the major powers are enhancing their political and economic linkages with India. Nevertheless, through Kashmir solidarity day-2024, the State and the people of Pakistan are once again emphasizing the United Nations,major powers and civilized international community to give Kashmiris their UN mandated right of self-determination. All roads to peace in South Asia pass through Kashmir; peace in Kashmir will ensure peace in entire region. The state and the people of Pakistan stand with their Kashmiri brothers and sisters.
Let’s hope that there returns political stability in Pakistan as a result of General Elections-2024. Indeed, a politically stable, economically viable and militarily strong Pakistan will provide a guaranteed support for Kashmiris right of self-determination. — The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
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views expressed are writer’s own.
