PROFILE OF Dr SHABIR CHOUDHRY

PROFILE OF Dr SHABIR CHOUDHRY
PROFILE OF Dr SHABIR CHOUDHRYDr Shabir Choudhry has done extensive research on the issue of Kashmir and Indo Pakistan relations। He passed BA Honours in Politics and History, and Mphil in International Relations (title of the thesis, ‘Kashmir and Partition of India’); and title of his PhD thesis is ‘Kashmir- An issue of a nation not a dispute of land’.

Apart from this Dr Shabir Choudhry passed Post Graduates Certificates in Education, and NVQ Assessor’s qualifications; and taught English in London।Political Achievements:

• Founder member of JKLF (Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front) and got elected as a Press Secretary in 1984।
• Became its General Secretary in 1985, and resigned from this post in 1996।
• Got elected President of JKLF and Europe in May 1999, and decided not to contest in elections of July 2001.
  At present:
• Director Diplomatic Committee and Spokesman of Kashmir National Party;
• Spokesperson for International Kashmir Alliance;
• Founder member and Director Institute of Kashmir Affairs;
  Previously:
  Founder Member and Trustee/ Director of London based registered charity, Kashmir Foundation International and resigned from this position in August 2001।
• On many occasions addressed UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, and regularly take part in proceedings of the Human Rights Commission।
• Participated in a Round Table Conference on Kashmir, organised by Socialist Group of European Parliament in Brussels in 1993।
• Addressed as a Chief Guest in a seminar on issue of Mangla Dam during the UN Sub Commission’s proceedings in August 2003।
• Addressed as a key - note speaker in a seminar on the issue of Gilgit and Baltistan, organised by Association of British Kashmiris।
• Addressed as a keynote speaker on human rights conference in Paris in 1991।
• Addressed at Cambridge University as a Chief Guest in a conference on Kashmir in 1990।
• Addressed as a keynote speaker at New Delhi conference on Kashmir, which was part of Track Two diplomacy in November 2000।
• Addressed as a speaker in a NGO Conference on Self - Determination in Geneva in August 2000।
• Addressed as a keynote speaker in a fringe meeting of Liberal Democrats at their Annual Conference in Brighton in 1995।
• Participated in World Human Rights Conference in Vienna in 1993।
• Before President Clinton's visit to India and Pakistan in 2000, lead a JKLF delegation to the State Department to discuss Kashmir dispute and situation in South Asia; and had two rounds of meetings with senior State Department officials before President Musharraf’s meeting to Washington in June 2003
• Played a leading role in supporting and providing important materials and support to Baroness Emma Nicholson and MEPs during different passing stages of EU Kashmir Report which despite aggressive and massive campaign by pro Pakistan lobby was passed in 2007 with majority
• Apart from that had meetings with senior officials including Ministers of different countries,
• Also held meetings with the State Department officials on number of occasions।
• Won first prize in an essay competition in Urdu in 1976. It was organised by High Commission of Pakistan in London, and title of the essay was 'Qaaid-e- Azam's role in Islamic History'.
  Publications
  Got first Urdu novel ‘Fareena’ published at the age of eighteen।
• Second Urdu novel ‘Bay-Khataa’ which was about the problems of Asian youths living in UK published in 1983।
• Third Urdu book ‘Pakistan and Kashmiri struggle for independence’ published in 1990।
• Fourth Urdu book is also on Kashmiri struggle, 'Is an independent Kashmir a conspiracy?'
• Apart from that Twenty Five books and booklets published in English on various aspects of the Kashmiri struggle.
  Recent publications are:
  Kashmir dispute as I see it
• Different perspective on Kashmir
• Kashmir needs a change of heart
• 
  JKLF visit to Pakistan Administered Kashmir
  If not self determination then what?
  Future publications
  Following books were completed some time ago and shall be published in near future: ·
  In Search of Freedom - My visit to Srinagar and Islamabad
  Kashmir and Partition of India
  Struggle for independence, jihad or proxy वर

A brief background
Dr Shabir Choudhry was born in a small village called Nakker Shamali (near Panjeri) in District Bhimber, Azad Kashmir. He went to UK in 1966, and like other people from the region, holds a dual nationality. He left secondary school in 1970 with no qualifications and began his life as a textile worker.
In 1975 he started part time studies and passed Matriculation from Government High School Panjeri, passed ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels from UK, and resumed full time degree course in 1981, and passed BA (Hons) in Politics and History in 1984. He continued full time and part time jobs until he got his Mphil. He passed his PGCE (Post Graduates Certificate in Education) in 1990, and then started full time job as a Lecturer.Due to health problems he resigned from teaching in 1999. At present he is self - employed, provides private tuition, translation and interpretation and consultancy. Through out his adult life he has actively worked for the cause of Kashmir, and even during long illness he effectively carried out his responsibilities as a leader of the JKLF, a ‘prolific writer’ and consistent campaigner of Rights Movement and peace in Jammu and Kashmir and South Asia.
Professor Rafiq Bhatti, Mirpur