A reply to Pakistani agents

A reply to Pakistani agents
Dr Shabir Choudhry 16 May 2010

1. First of all I don’t know who Shaban Bashir is. I have never met her. However I am grateful to her for posting some email for me. To me she is pro Kashmir and not anti Pakistan or pro India, but tragedy is anyone who is pro Kashmir, ISI agents and agents of Pakistani establishment harass them by labelling them as ‘pro India’ and anti Pakistan; because they want all Kashmiris to sing praises for Pakistan, despite what they have done to the Kashmir cause.

2. These fanatics and short sighted people got Pakistan in to such a mess that now all bad things are associated with the country. Situation is so bad in Pakistan that many Pakistanis don’t want to be part of Pakistan; yet these ‘Jihadi’s and agents want us to join Pakistan and would not allow us to even look for another viable option.

3. As soon as you express your intention to look for alternative to joining Pakistan or getting your own identity these agents and foot soldiers of ISI will harass you by calling you anti Pakistan and being pro this or pro that country. We people of Jammu and Kashmir, by and large are simple and peace loving people and don’t want any trouble so they easily give in to these blackmailers.

4. No one is saying that there are no problems on the Indian side of the LOC. But when you take gun given by ISI and fire at the Indians what do you expect in response; still we condemn human rights abuses no matter where they are committed and who is culprit. But these fanatics want to be selective even with human rights abuses: if human rights are committed by non Muslims they broadcast them and if they are committed by Muslims they either turn blind eyes or label these people being Hindus or non Muslims.

5. My fight is against this dishonesty, hypocrisy and injustice. My fight is for justice and against politics of intimidation. My fight is for our identity and our unfettered right of self determination, which unfortunately was changed to right of accession on the request of Pakistan – that Kashmiris can only become part of India or Pakistan.

6. For promoting the above (in no five) I expect opposition and accusations from those who deny us these rights. It is their duty to confuse people and fight for what they believe is Pakistani interest, and I have to fight my corner and defend and promote Kashmiri interests; and in doing so I will face difficulties.

7. Their concept of Pakistani interest change with time. To them it was a Pakistani interest to promote militancy in name of Jihad, train them and use them to promote their political agenda. Now their interest has changed and they are using F16 against Muslims and their own citizens in various parts of Pakistan. If anyone speaks against this barbarity in which innocent people die, he will be accused of being either Hindu, Indian agent or anti Pakistan.

8. We, as rational human beings, have some choices to make. Do we want to become part of this Pakistan where F16 and helicopter gun ships are in action against all those who seek their identity and ask for their fundamental rights? Do we want to promote undemocratic forces and religious extremism? Or we want o live in a liberal and democratic society:
Where Justice, Satisfaction and Happiness are the way of life; Where Obstacles and Misunderstandings are removed with Love and Compassion; Where Hatred and Anger are removed with Brotherhood, Calmness and Patience; Where Freedom leads to Dreams and Transforms them to Reality and Where Knowledge, Wisdom, Freedom and Peace are appreciated.

9. They want to impose their brand of Islam on people of Jammu and Kashmir who have history of tolerance and co existence. Kashmir is multi religious and multi ethnic state, and by forcing religion on them will only divide the State on religious lines, as various parts of the State or inhabited either by one religious group or the other. In any case which Islam are they going to impose on us: Sunni Islam, Deobandi Islam, Wahabi Islam, Shia Islam, Noor Bakshi Islam, Ismahili Islam etc. If we let these fanatics have their way they will divide us in to small groups that they can easily intimidate us and control the society.

10. We are repeatedly told that Pakistan is our brother and promotes Kashmiri peoples right of self determination. This is not true. They have always promoted their interest at the expense of Kashmiri interest Just look at some of these examples and decided for yourself:

11. Pakistan signed a Standstill Agreement with the government of Jammu and Kashmir in August 1947, because it was seen in their interest to have a foothold inside the State; and out manoeuvre India in political game of getting the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

12. But their interest changed and Pakistan violated this agreement and stopped even basic items like food, salt oil etc. In clear violation of this Treaty, they also managed a Tribal Invasion which started on 22 October 1947. Aim of this Tribal Invasion was to grab Kashmir and punish the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir who wanted to remain independent.

13. How could our Pakistani masters tolerate that Kashmiris could become independent; so Pakistan managed the Tribal attack in which thousands of innocent Kashmiri men and women were killed and women were raped. Our Kashmir was plundered and destroyed; and Kashmiri girls were kidnapped and taken to Peshawer and other parts of Pakistan.

14. Ask yourself, while managing this attack, did they want to promote a Kashmiri interest or they had imperialistic designs which failed, and which landed us in the present miseries – forced division and oppression on both sides of the LOC.

15. It was because of this attack that the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir panicked and requested help from India. If there was no Tribal attack we could have been independent state. In one sense, all our troubles and miseries are related to the Tribal invasion which ‘our well wishers and Muslim brothers – Pakistanis’ managed and financed.

16. Apart from that those of us who are old enough or have studied history of Azad Kashmir would know what Pakistani army did to us people of so called Azad Kashmir during the Poonch rebellion. This rebellion was not promoted by India or RAW, it was a protest against Pakistani attitude in Azad Kashmir. What people of Indian side of Kashmir are experiencing now we experienced that in late 1940s and mid 1950s.

17. You must have heard recent statements of some Pakistani leaders that they want Kashmir because of water resources. That means they want Jammu and Kashmir for resources and strategic reasons and not because they have love for us. They had no love for people of East Pakistan, no love for people of Balochistan who are facing fourth invasion, and no love for people of FATA and PATA. These are their own people – Pakistanis; don’t be fooled that they have love for us Kashmiris.

18. I have said very little about India and that is something which is always used against me. Indian role in Kashmir is known to all, and all violations are highlighted and sometimes exaggerated as some people now claim that India has killed more than one hundred and fifty thousand people in Kashmir.

19. If I also concentrate on promoting Indian wrongs then I am not adding anything new to the available knowledge on Kashmir and human rights abuses. All I am doing is repeating what has already been said by thousands of others; and I don’t waste my valuable time like that.

20. Moreover, in my view, it is more important to expose hypocrisy of a ‘friend’ a pretender, a ‘Muslim brother’ who has imperial designs but want to conceal that in name of religion; and wants us to focus Indian side of Kashmir that their own crimes could be hidden.

21. Apart from that on this side of the LOC, we are occupied by Pakistan. Same is the situation in Gilgit Baltistan which Pakistan has practically annexed. While supporting struggle of our brothers on the Indian side of Jammu and Kashmir, our struggle is on this side against those who occupy us.

22. All the above is true and could be proved with historic documents. It is my right and duty to promote what is in interest of people of Jammu and Kashmir; and for doing that if baseless allegations are made against me and a malicious campaign is started against me I don’t care, as Allah is with me. I have faced these fanatics and agents before and I am prepared to face them again. I know forces of occupation, forces of terror, forces of extremism and forces of hatred have their own agenda; and I will fight them back even when I am totally on my own.
Writer is Director Diplomatic Committee of Kashmir National Party, political analyst and author of many books and booklets. Also he is Director Institute of Kashmir Affairs.Email:drshabirchoudhry@gmail.com

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