Freedom of Expression in
Pakistani Administered Jammu and Kashmir
Speech made by Dr Shabir Choudhry in a Seminar held during UN Human Rights
Council 40th Regular Session on Wednesday, 12 March 2019, Palais des
Nations, Geneva, Conference, Room15.
Mr
Chairman, Friends and colleague, peace and blessings on all of you.
Right of Expression is a fundamental human right. In
societies where right of expression is available, generally there is peace,
stability, equality, rule of law and prosperity.
In societies where right of expression is curbed or is
absent, generally, there is inequality, injustice, intimidation, intolerance
and instability. Sometimes, these factors, coupled with strong sense of
deprivation and oppression can lead to political and economic meltdown, and
result in a rebellion or a civil war.
We people of Jammu and Kashmir living under the Pakistani
control have experienced all the above for the past 70 years, and yet the
people have not rebelled.
Main reason for this
is the manipulation by the Pakistani ruling elite that you people are ‘Azad’,
meaning independent. Pakistan has sold this narrative that you people needn’t
worry about your own problems, because you are azad. However, your fellow
citizens under the Indian occupation are badly suffering. The prime
responsibility of you people is to speak out about their plight, and with help
of Pakistan liberate them.
No doubt there are human rights violations there in Kashmir.
I am not like those human rights activists who only condemn human rights
violations perpetrated by police and para military forces; and remain quiet
when human rights are committed by militants. I condemn all human rights
violations without any fear or reservation.
Also, I condemn proxy war, extremism, terrorism, violence,
intolerance and religious hatred. These factors provide an excuse to police and
the para military forces to act harshly and, at times, violate human rights.
It must be remembered that before the proxy war started in
1989 in Kashmir, there were no human rights abuses of the kind we have witnessed
since that time.
Despite all the problems one can point out taking place in
Kashmir, people there can shout anti India and pro Pakistan slogans. They can
even condemn India, wave Pakistani flags, chant that they want to join
Pakistan. Some of them openly support and protect Pakistani terrorists who are
there to commit acts of terrorism and promote extremism and religious hatred.
Under the administration of India, people of Kashmir talk of Khalafat, imposing
Islamic Shariah, and even shout pro ISIS slogans.
We on the Pakistani side of the divide, cannot even say
that we are occupied by Pakistan without some reprisals and sedition charges.
There is no question of waving the Indian flag, or chanting slogans that we
want to become part of India, as we know the entire family will disappear from
face of the earth without any trace.
In our so called Azad territory, pro independent Jammu and
Kashmir literature is strictly prohibited and banned. Three books of mine and many
books of other nationalist writers are banned. Apart from that, there is a
verbal statement issued to all book sellers that no book of Dr Shabir Choudhry
should be stored or sold.
Anyone selling these banned books, which only provide information
about history and struggle of Jammu and Kashmir with the Kashmiri perspective
in mind, will get an immediate hefty fine and sealing of his shop.
One daily newspaper, called ‘Majadla’ was banned in so
called Azad Kashmir because it published a survey report which confirmed that
overwhelming majority of people of Azad Kashmir wanted independence. This paper
still remains banned. This explains to what extent we are independent. We
cannot even read our history and promote our culture. We cannot pay tribute to
our heroes, who established the State of Jammu and Kashmir, promoted tolerance
and protected our national heritage, because we are azad.
Those who openly speak against the Pakistani injustice and
economic and political exploitation are castigated as anti - Pakistan,
traitors, and Indian agents. Many of them are facing sedition charges.
Anyone, who oppose China Pakistan Economic Corridor, which
has a strong military and strategic agenda; and is also designed to exploit our
resources, and will provide China a foothold in these strategically important
areas, is also portrayed as a traitor.
This means, the list of ‘traitors’ is very fast increasing,
as more and more people are added to this list. Movements of many political and
human rights activists are restricted in Gilgit Baltistan, which is also
against fundamental human rights.
Preamble of Universal Declaration of Human Rights says:
‘Whereas
it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last
resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should
be protected by the rule of law.’
I request government of Pakistan to revisit their wrong
policies of oppression, injustice, inequality and exploitation before people of
Gilgit Baltistan and so called Azad Kashmir lose their patience.
I thank you Mr Chairman.
Writer is a renowned writer and author of
many books. He is also President Foreign Affairs Committee of UKPNP; and
Chairman South Asia Watch, London.
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