Vision of Azad Kashmiri leaders
Dr Shabir Choudhry 10 May 2012
A leader is a person who leads
people to a designated goal or, at least, makes sincere efforts to achieve that
goal. A good leader works hard and employs his/her skills and talent; and coordinates
with other like minded people and organisations to accomplish his mission.
The above statement is true in
general, and is relevant to many countries of the world. However, when we come
to South Asia , especially Pakistan and
State of Jammu and Kashmir ,
the above statement is not applicable. Values and standards which are
applicable in the rest of the world are not relevant in this part of the world.
Here, we find very few sincere
people who could be taken as leaders. Majority of those in public life are the
biggest crooks; and they make sincere and deliberate efforts to deceive people
and mislead them. In other words, leaders in this part of the world do not lead
people, but deliberately mislead them; and sad thing is that those who are
misled still follow those who loot them and mislead them.
It is difficult to encompass in
one article all those in public life in the State of Jammu and Kashmir ; therefore, I will only
focus on some aspects of those in public life in a territory known as Azad
Kashmir or Free Kashmir. Despite the name Free Kashmir ,
this territory, for all practical purposed is controlled by Islamabad ; and its leaders are there to
protect and enhance interests of Pakistan
This territory was a part of the
State of Jammu and Kashmir
when the British Raj ended in India
on 15th August
1947 ; and the Maharajah of Kashmir became an independent ruler. He
concluded a Standstill Agreement with Pakistan and practically provided
Pakistani government a foothold in Kashmir .
Despite the Standstill Agreement
this territory or any part of the State of Jammu and Kashmir was not part of Pakistan . How
sad that ‘leaders’ of this territory now known as Azad Kashmir collaborated
with rulers of Pakistan and helped them to attack and takeover this region. The
collaborators were appointed rulers of this territory, but the attackers known
as the Tribal Raiders killed, raped women, kidnap girls and looted at will.
This unprovoked attack forced the Maharajah of Jammu and Kashmir
to seek help from India
and consequently signed a Provisional Accession with India .
So one can see vision of
‘leaders’ of this region - they collaborated with a neighbouring country to
invade their own country that resulted in the forced division of their
motherland. They benefited from this attack, as they enjoyed power and
prestige; but the people of Jammu and
Kashmir are still paying for their actions.
Another action or a crime of
these ‘leaders’ will elucidate vision or lack of it. These ‘leaders’, who were
appointed to rulers Azad Kashmir by Pakistani establishment, signed very
notorious agreement with Pakistan, known as the Karachi Agreement. They signed
away to Pakistan
vast areas of Gilgit Baltistan (around 28 thousand sq miles). These areas are
strategically and economically very important. Pakistan ruled this region with an
iron fist and enjoyed all the benefits; and now they have made these areas
practically a province
of Pakistan
Furthermore, these ‘leaders’ signed away their own powers and agreed that they will have practically nothing to do with negotiations on Kashmir whether in the UN or with India
This kind of ‘leadership’ one can only find in this unfortunate land known as Azad Kashmir. These ‘leaders’ deliberately work against national interests of their own country; and have bartered away independence and rights of future generations for the sake of political power. These ‘leaders’ have been more loyal to our one neighbour; and in view of many Kashmiri patriots, they have committed treachery against their own people and their own nation; and sad thing is that they are still imposed upon us as ‘Kashmiri leaders’, and despite all their actions and ‘treachery’ people still follow them.
One could say that the situation on the other side of the divide is not that bright either, because the leadership over there, whether it is pro India Pakistan Jammu and Kashmir
Many Kashmiri analysts will agree
that most Kashmiri leaders, on both side of the forced division have many
things in common – they are corrupt, they are incompetent, they lack vision,
they lack unity, they have no programme for independence and unification of
their motherland, they are loyal to our neighbours rather than their
motherland, they fool people in name of independence and struggle, they exploit
their sentiments, they treat the Kashmiri struggle as a business and ensure
that the Kashmir pot keeps on boiling and that their close relatives stay away
from the trouble spots.
Few days ago some Azad Kashmiri
newspapers reported that in a public meeting in which former Chief Justice of
High Court of Azad Kashmir and President of Liberation League, Abdul Majid
Malik and Sardar Khalid Ibrahim and Yasin Malik were also present, Azad
Kashmiri leaders asserted that they will accept any decision All Parties
Hurriyet Conference might take with regard to future of Jammu Kashmir.
It is unfortunate to note that
‘leaders’ of Azad Kashmir have not learnt any lessons from the past mistakes;
and even in May 2012, they still have no plan for the resolution of the Kashmir
dispute. They still have no role of Azad Kashmir in their minds; and like to
put future of more than four million Azad Kashmiris at the mercy of the leaders
of APHC, who are fighting each other and who are also confused and don’t have
any plans for the future of State of Jammu and Kashmir.
Many Kashmiri patriots were
shocked to see this sweeping statement coming from the Azad Kashmiri leaders;
and putting this blind faith in the APHC which do not even represent all
sections of the Valley
of Kashmir
Even when the APHC was united,
out of five regions it did not represent anyone in the four regions, namely in Jammu Province Ladakh Province Valley of Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir , as
they always look for directions from outside of the State boundaries.
What hurts pride and dignity of
people of Azad Kashmir is that when Shadow APHC was constituted in Pakistan,
they did not trust any leader of Azad Kashmir to carry out duties related to
the ‘Kashmiri struggle’ or ‘independence movement’; and each constituent party
of the APHC ‘exported’ their trusted man to Islamabad. Despite this humiliation
and many more, spineless and compliant leaders of Azad Kashmir take pride in
sharing a platform with leaders of the Valley; and give them a free hand to
decide their future.
The APHC is now in two groups;
one group is led by Syed Ali Gilani and the other by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. If
newspapers reports are to be believed then the APHC group headed by Mirwaiz is
heading for a split. The news report says: ‘Cracks
in the moderate Hurriyat Conference widened today with supporters of rival
groups chanting slogans against each other even as chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq
issued a gag order on amalgam constituents from airing differences in public. Soon
after the Executive Committee meeting of the Hurriyat ended, supporters of the
Hurriyat chairman and executive council member Bilal Lone shouted slogans
against another executive council member Shabir Ahmad Shah. Shah's supporters
retaliated raising slogans against the Mirwaiz and Lone.’
The report further said: ‘Divisions within the moderate Hurriyat erupted on Sunday when another executive council member Abdul Gani Bhat at a rally in north Kashmir said the UN plebiscite resolutions were no longer "practically implementable" in the State.’
Spineless
and compliant leaders of Azad Kashmir want to trust these APHC leaders with
future of the State of Jammu and
Kashmir and would agree with whatever they decide.
What Azad Kashmiri leaders do if one group of the APHC agree on division of the
State? What would they do if one group of the APHC decide to stay with India ?
It is
time that the Azad Kashmiri leaders mentally grow up and assert their
positions; and tell all the concerned that they have a crucial role when it
comes to determining the future of the State of Jammu and Kashmir . We cannot be treated as
second class citizens of the State of Jammu
and Kashmir , where some chosen few belonging to the Valley of Kashmir
Writer is a political analyst and author of many books and
booklets. Also he is Director Institute of Kashmir Affairs.
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