Pakistan cannot afford to put the Kashmir issue on the backburner as it justifies the very rationale of Pakistan and provides a logical foundation to the struggle of the Founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, his colleagues and hundreds and thousands of the workers of the Pakistan Movement.
These views were expressed by Chairman of the Nazriya Pakistan Council (NPC) Mian Muhammad Javed in his presidential address at a seminar titled “Peaceful Resolution of Kashmir Dispute” organized at the Aiwan-e-Quaid, Fatima Jinnah Park on Tuesday.
Eminent intellectuals, scholars and ‘eyewitnesses’ of the evolution of Kashmir issue, its ups and downs and current status attended the seminar and shared their views.
Former Senator Razina Alam Khan, Ambassador (R) Salahuddin Choudhry, Member (Minorities) Executive Committee of the NPC, Manzoor Masih, historian and writer Dr Farooq Adil, writer Attaur Rehman Chohan and Muhammad Daud Kaif were among the guest speakers who highlighted various aspects of the Kashmir Dispute and called it a humanitarian, bilateral as well as an international issue.
Mian Muhammad Javed said persecution of the Kashmiri people dated back to the pre-Independence Day and the Sikh Raja of Kashmir discriminated against the Kashmiri Muslims even long before the establishment of Pakistan.
People of the areas which are part of Pakistan raised their voice for the Kashmiri people even then, he said. After Pakistan came into being this support has become a national cause and we are united in expressing solidarity with them, he said. Mian Javed said the NPC since Day One under the leadership of the late Founder Chairman Zahid Malik organized such events and seminars to highlight the cause of Kashmir.
He paid rich tributes to Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Gen Syed Asim Munir for paying a visit to the Line of Control on February 5, 2024 to reaffirm support and solidarity to the people of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJ&K). It gave the people of Kashmir who are being subjected to torture and discrimination a message of hope and reassurance, he said.
Let’s continue to keep the Kashmir Issue alive and make an effort to find a way out. It is true the New World Order is buying the Indian stance on the issue and there is little acceptance for Pakistan’s viewpoint on this issue but we shouldn’t lose heart and keep trying as such movements are long-term and take time to get the desired results. Mian Javed said Kashmir was very much a moral, legal, diplomatic and historical issue and is justified by all the canons of international law.
Sen Razina Alam Khan said the peaceful resolution of Kashmir was possible through dialogue but even for dialogue, India would agree only when Pakistan was economically strong.
“Our economic and political situation has weakened our stance and emboldened our adversaries,” she said. Dr Farooq Adil said unfortunately successive governments used the Kashmir issue to tighten their grip on power. Unfortunately, this trend of political use of the Kashmir issue weakened our stance internationally and the world powers as a result gave up their support to Pakistan’s version of the Kashmir issue. Such indifference cost us dearly, Dr Farooq said adding now Pakistan has to double its efforts to engage the world powers on this issue.
Ambassador Salahuddin gave a historical background to the Kashmir issue and the Indian government’s, particularly, the BJP government’s manipulations. India by revoking Articles 370 and 35-A first did away with the special status of the Held Kashmir and now it is trying to win the international support to get its illegitimate right on Kashmir accepted.
