Dr Muhammad Khan
THE long-awaited political map of Pakistan, unveiled on 14 August 2020 is a right step towards national security and integrity of the ideological state of Pakistan. Indeed, it is an effort to correct the historical blunders, made by successive governments for the reasons better known to them. For the first time in the history, Pakistan included the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir as its part while highlighting its disputed nature. In the past, Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir has been that, Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed region whose decision has to be made as per United Nations resolutions. Since Pakistan has been legally battling the Kashmir dispute at all international forums including ever since its origin in 1947, therefore it was necessary to have its ownership. The ownership through new political map would strengthened and reinforce Pakistan’s legal position to pursue the Kashmir dispute. After unveiling new political map, Pakistan can contest the illegal Indian claim with clarity and with a legal claim. The legal claim of Pakistan is supported by the will of the people of the Jammu and Kashmir, the partition plan of India, accession of the state with Pakistan on 19 July 1947 and the two basic pre-conditions set forth as rules for the accession of Princely States. Contrary to Pakistani position, Indian claim does not have any moral, legal and political foundation. In fact, Indian claim is founded on unfounded bases; the instrument of accession, which is fake document. The people of Jammu and Kashmir did not opt to become part of India in 1947 and they are still fighting against Indian occupation of the despite passage of seven decades.
In last seventy-three years, India could not convince the people of Jammu and Kashmir to be its masses. On their part, the people of Jammu and Kashmir neither claim to be Indian nationals nor accept Indian constitution. Had India been an acceptable option for them, it should have not have deployed 900,000 military personals to keep Kashmiris under captivity. The situation is quite opposite in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and GB. The people of these areas are enjoying all the facilities, available for the rest of Pakistani masses. There is no discrimination and there is no alienation, facing the people of these areas in Pakistan. The new political map has also dismissed the conspiracy theories that Pakistan has accepted the Indian unilateral act of annexing the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir into its union. Indeed, the sudden illegal Indian act of relegating the status of the state into union territories and its annexation as part of Indian union have created lot of misperceptions. Then, there was no worthwhile diplomatic, political and legal contest against Indian illegal actions at UN, ICJ and even Human Rights Commission of UN. The mysterious silence and being defensive created a worrisome situation for those facing the Indian barbarism in occupied part of the state. The political map is clarity against all these misperceptions. As announced by the Prime Minister Imran Khan that Kashmir dispute is all about the grant of right to self-determination to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. “Their right to self-determination, given to them by the world community, has still not been given. And we clearly want to say to the world that it is the only solution,” The people of Jammu and Kashmir have been pursuing this inalienable right ever since 1947. The political map has laid the foundation of political and legal battle of Pakistan for ending the illegal occupation of India over the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K). Contrary to India, Pakistan believes in the political and legal solution of Kashmir dispute in the light UN resolutions. On the eve of unveiling the political map, Imran Khan said, “We will do political struggle, we don’t believe in military solutions. We will remind the UN again and again that you had made a promise [to the people of Kashmir] which you did not fulfil.”
The key point to evoke, conceive, recognize and pursue is that, Pakistan did not occupy any part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and the people of Gilgit-Baltistan liberated these territories while fighting against the Dogra Army of Maharaja Harisingh and decided to join Pakistan at will. Therefore, lets’ reject the misperception of any Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) as frequently refer by India through its electronic and print media. Nevertheless, Indian Army occupied the state of Jammu and Kashmir illegally in 1947 and continuing its occupation till-date, thus it can be rightfully declared as Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K). A lot of foresight and insight has undergone in conceiving the new political map. Nevertheless, pursuing it would call for enhanced wisdom, well thought out strategy and extensive international adequacy. Since the journey of a thousand miles begins with first step, therefore, let’s start pursuing the attainment of new political map. For achievement of this gigantic mission, we have to pursue the Kashmir dispute at all international forums through diplomatic, political, academic, media, legal and social campaigning to end to Indian occupation of IIOJ&K.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
