I want to make a confession. Dr Shabir
Choudhry
Mr President, friends and colleagues Salam to all of you.
I want to thank leadership of United Kashmir Peoples National Party for
organising this spectacular reception in my honour. Indeed, I am impressed by
all the arrangements.
However, I want to make a confession.
After joining UKPNP, many people have asked me why I joined United
Kashmir Peoples National Party? One possible answer is, why not join the UKPNP.
When a mistake is committed, generally two responses are expected. One
is to acknowledge the mistake and apologise, as Hazrat Adam (Peace Be Upon Him)
did. He acknowledged His oversight, and asked Allah for forgiveness.
The second response is that of Satan. He refused to obey; and expressed
his arrogance and superiority over Hazrat Adam. We all know what happened to
him.
Ladies and gentlemen, I want to confess that I have committed a crime – I have
committed a crime of demanding independence. I have committed a big crime of
calling Pakistan an occupier in Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan.
I have also committed a crime of not surrendering before secret agencies
of Pakistan. Furthermore, I committed a crime of exposing misdeeds of these
secret agencies. I looked in their eyes and challenged them that their policies
were wrong and imperialist in nature.
Although they have defamed me by making unfounded allegations, but by
grace of Allah, a Pakistani High Court found me not guilty. I challenged them
in the Pakistani High Court and asked them to provide evidence against me. They
could not provide a shred of evidence.
This crime of challenging them in the Court and proving them guilty of
making unsubstantiated allegations is unforgivable. I can understand their
anger and frustration, but Allah Almighty is on my side.
Ladies and gentlemen, list of my crimes is too long.
I dared to expose Pakistani establishment that they, against the Islamic
teaching, violated the Standstill Agreement with the government of Jammu and
Kashmir. This unprovoked Pakistani attack to capture my home land resulted in
death of tens of thousands of innocent men and women, rapes and kidnapping of
women. This brutal and imperialist attack also resulted in forced division of Jammu
and Kashmir since 1947, and we suffer on both sides of the divide since that
date.
Also, I committed a crime of exposing democratic ideals of Mr Jinnah,
who became Governor General of Pakistan on 14th August 1947, and on
20th August 1947, he unconstitutionally dismissed Dr Khan Sahib’s
elected government of North West Frontier Province.
Dr Khan was a secular and liberal minded person, and in his presence,
the conspiracy of launching an attack on Jammu and Kashmir in name of Jihad could
not have been successful. So, Mr Jinnah replaced Dr Khan with Mr Khan Abdul
Qayyum Khan, who was more compliant; and helped to facilitate the armed
aggression against Jammu and Kashmir.
This proves that Mr Jinnah was also part of this conspiracy and
aggression. At the forefront were other senior government officials like Liaquat
Ali Khan (PM), Ghulam Muhammad (Finance Minister) Khan Abdul Qayyum Khan and
many other leaders.
Mr President
Another unforgivable crime of mine is to conduct a systematic research
on various aspects of Jammu and Kashmir and India Pakistan relations, and
exposed Pakistan’s imperialist policies on Jammu and Kashmir. Also, I have
explained in detail, how Pakistan have damaged cause of united and independent
Jammu and Kashmir just to advance perceived ‘national interest’ of Pakistan.
I asserted that how and why Pakistan communalised secular polity of
Jammu and Kashmir. They promoted religious hatred, intolerance and extremism.
Their aim was to justify division of India and creation of Pakistan. They
wanted to show that Muslims and non-Muslims cannot live together, hence the
division of India on communal lines was imperative.
Also, I asserted that Pakistan is using religion to divide people of
Jammu and Kashmir; and advance their agenda by use of proxy warriors. In this
proxy war, tens of thousands of innocent people have lost their lives; and non-Muslims
from the Valley of Kashmir have been driven out by force.
Apart from all the above crimes, I confess, I preached that our struggle
is on this side of the forced division where we are occupied by Pakistan. How
can we ‘liberate’ Srinagar, when we are in chains on the Pakistani side. It was
a policy of the GHQ to use Muslims of this area against the Indian occupation;
and sadly, some of our leaders were trapped in this.
Furthermore, I confess, I blatantly refused to follow dictation of the
secret agencies. My brave gesture infuriated them, hence all the allegations
and problems I have faced. They told me not to write books. My response has
been to publish, at least, one book a year.
They said stop writing against China Pakistan Economic Corridor, and
addressing conferences. I regularly attend these conferences in Geneva, Italy,
Belgium, Vienna and in various parts of England. I produced a book on the CPEC
last year. I am actively working on my second book on China Pakistan Economic
Corridor.
On top of that, I anchored a TV programme on currents affairs with
special emphasis on Jammu and Kashmir and India Pakistan relations for four
years. I also gave dozens of TV interviews. My message was unambiguous and loud:
I am not afraid of you. I will continue my struggle against your illegal and
oppressive occupation.
Ladies and gentleman, in
addition to all the above, another crime of mine is unforgivable. Not only I
challenged them in High Court of Pakistan, I refused to withdraw the case. I
was asked to withdraw the case that a compromise could be reached outside the
Court. I refused. My point was let the court decide if I am innocent or a ‘traitor’,
as alleged by the secret agencies. By grace of Allah, no evidence was presented
against me, hence my innocence was proved.
Mr President
In view of all these ‘crimes’, which
political party had the nerve to accept me as a member? Here, I must add that
more than one party contacted me and requested me to join their ranks; but I
knew the parties concerned did not have the audacity to counter the pressure of
the secret agencies.
In my experience, there was only one
political party which had the courage, and nerve to accept me in their ranks;
and challenge the pressure of secret agencies. That party was no other than
United Kashmir Peoples National Party.
The UKPNP leadership, especially its
Chairman Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri has also committed the ‘crimes’ mentioned
above. This means we have many things in common. Our ideology and many strategies are undistinguishable.
Like me, they are also not afraid of the secret agencies. They have courage to
call spade a spade; and advance policies which are pro people and pro peace.
UKPNP members should be proud of vision
and bravery of their Chairman Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri who has a vision of
united and independent Jammu and Kashmir. He opposed militancy when it was
almost a crime to oppose it. When secret agencies promoted jihad, gun culture,
extremism, hatred and religious intolerance; he criticised their narrative and preached
peace, tolerance, brotherhood and benevolence.
So, you can see Shaukat Kashmiri is
also a ‘criminal’, because he says guns kill innocent people. He wants to save
lives. Some powerful people are enemies of peace, because their business
demands blood and dead bodies. Our requirement is peace and harmony. They want
bloodshed, violence, chaos and intolerance.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a fight
at our hand. Of course, we have a choice of remaining quiet like many others
are doing. If we do that then we are strengthening the forces of violence; and making
life difficult for our future generations.
Now that I am a member of the UKPNP,
let me assure you that as an experienced soldier of the Party, I will advance
agenda of the PNP and continue my struggle against forces of extremism,
terrorism, violence and religious intolerance.
Once again, I want to thank Usman
Kiani, Amjad Yousaf, Shaukat Ali Kashmiri and all others who have made
arrangements for this wonderful reception in my honour. Also, I want to thank
guest speakers belonging to other parties who have expressed best wishes and
have praised our efforts.
Writer
is a renowned writer and author of many books. He is also a senior leader of
UKPNP and Chairman South Asia Watch, London.
Email: Drshabirchoudhry@gmail.com Twitter: @Drshabir
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