Human Rights situation in Pakistan and Kashmir, speech of Dr Shabir
Choudhry in Geneva during 25th Session of the UN Human Rights
session 17 March 2014
In name of Almighty I begin
Mr Chairman, friends and colleagues Aslamo alaikam and very good
afternoon
Islamic Republic of Pakistan is in deep crises. Although there is an
elected government and the country has a large army with nuclear weapons, but
people of Pakistan have no sense of security. Pakistan is virtually in middle
of a deadly religious war which is made worse by parties and groups fighting
regional and sub national battles. So because of multiple reasons and wrong
policies with no sense of directions Pakistanis face death and destruction and
no one feels safe.
First responsibility of a government is to save life, property and
dignity of people; and provide justice to all citizens. Respective Pakistani
governments have miserably failed to provide this. People are killed and they
don’t know why they have been killed. Even the political leaders, senior
government officials and the men in uniform don’t feel safe. Despite this state
of affairs Pakistani government and their officials urge us to join their
country. They think we don’t deserve to enjoy fruits of independence.
Pakistan is a neighbouring country of the State of Jammu and Kashmir.
Perhaps you don’t know how difficult life becomes when you have a bad
neighbour. Jammu and Kashmir is a Muslim majority State, especially in 1947,
Muslims had majority in all three provinces. The Maharajah of Kashmir thought
this new Muslim country - Pakistan will care for Muslim majority Jammu and
Kashmir, and entered in to a Standstill Agreement with Pakistan giving a
special status to this country.
Pakistani rulers had no intention of helping Jammu and Kashmir or
Muslims there. They violated the Standstill Agreement and arranged a tribal
invasion of Jammu and Kashmir on 22 October 1947, which resulted in killing of
tens of thousands of innocent people and division of our country between India
and Pakistan. The contest between India and Pakistan to get Jammu and Kashmir
hurts us and aggravate the situation. I can give lengthy details what both
India and Pakistan have done and how human rights abuses have taken place, but
topic of the seminar is human rights situation in Pakistan.
However, Pakistani governments, their security agencies and media make
us believe that Pakistan is a friend and well wisher of people of Jammu and
Kashmir. Reality is somewhat different. Pakistan had imperial aims, and just like
India they wanted to get Jammu and Kashmir because of its strategic location
and abundant natural resources.
One can easily prove that Pakistani governments have imperial designs on
Kashmir, and no imperialist power could be kind to its colony and the colonised
people; and Pakistan is not different. They have worked hard to make a mess of
the Kashmir dispute. They took a lead in ensuring that people of Jammu and
Kashmir are denied a right of self determination.
How ironic that those Kashmiris who promote a Pakistani agenda on
Kashmir, which will result either in a division of the State, or a loss of
national identity and sovereignty are called patriots and are promoted as
leaders of Kashmiris; but those Kashmiris who advance a Kashmiri agenda,
promote peace, equality, national identity, democratic values and oppose
extremism, violence, and religious hatred are castigated as anti Pakistan and
anti struggle and pro India.
Mr Chairman
Because of
time constraint I will not give more details of what damage Pakistan has done
to our cause; however, it will be appropriate to give the following details to
demonstrate that Pakistani governments exploit us and that they are not our
friends.
Pakistan
sells Kashmiri property
The Maharaja
of Jammu and Kashmir purchased commercial, residential and agricultural land
and properties in the areas which now forms part of Pakistan. Up till 1947, the
Maharaja received rent and other benefits for his investement; but since the
creation of Pakistan all this property is under the control of Pakistan.
This huge
amount of property belonging to the State of Jammu and Kashmir is totally
controlled and exploited by Pakistan. The property is worth billions of Rupees.
The so called Azad Kashmir government has no control or even knowledge what
Pakistan does to that property consisting of thousands of acres of
agricultural, residential and commercial proeprty.
Pakistani
government has been receiving benefits of this Kashmiri properties since 1947;
and they do not have this courtsey even to tell the Azad Kashmir government
that they have received so much since 1947. Azad Kashmiri government does not
have courage to even enquire about this important issue. Any citizen of Kashmir
who dares to ask question is labelled as anti Pakistan and pro India; and
fearing this castigation people prefer to remain quiet.
A few days
ago one Azad Kashmiri newspaper called Daily Kashmir Express published details
of the property which was recently sold by the government of Pakistan. The
Chief Editor of this paper, Zahid Tabassam was told to keep his mouth shut. I
was conatcted and given details of this. I was told that I should speak against
this exploitation of Kashmiri resources and politics of fear and intimidation.
When we speak
against this exploitation and injustice we are told you people are anti
Pakistan and pro India; as we create problems for Pakistan. If speaking for our
rights and protecting our interests is tanatamount to being anti Pakistan than
I cannot help this. I have every right to speak and protect my rights and
rights of people of Jammua nd Kashmir.
Mr Chairman
Details of
the property are as follows:
Commercial
property consist of 1048 Kanals
Agricultural
land 2426 acres
Agricultural
land in cities is 580 Kanals
Property
sold:
- 468 Kanals land sold from cities;
- 452 acres from agricultural land;
- 32.5 Kanals or commercial property from Haveli
Dayaal Singh;
- Nearly 33 Kanals from Sarahe Mian Sultan;
- Total land of Kashmir House Lahore which is
more than 100 Kanals;
- Nolakha Goods 1.6 kanal;
- Poonch House Lahore, 36 kanals, no one knows
about the remaining 176 Kanals there;
- Poonch Housing Scheme, Lahore, 174.6 Kanals;
- In district Gujanwala, nearly 5 Kanals;
- Some unknown acres of land from Sialkot was
given to the army;
- From district Jhelum 51.6 Kanals;
- Pindi Hazara Transport, 17.6 Kanals;
- Sarahi Gand Singh, 4.5 Kanals;
- In Raja Bazar Rawalpindi, which is like Oxford
Street of Pakistan, 17 shops;
- Poonch House, Mardaan, 15 Kanal;
- Sheikhupoora, 1353.5 kanals;
- Sultanpoor Lahore, 234.8 Kanals;
- Unknown acres of the Kashmiri property was
used to contrusct BRB canal in Lahore;
After
listening to these details people can decide if government of Pakistan can be
called a friend and a well wisher of Kashmir. If people of Jammu and Kashmir
remain quiet on this exploitation and injustice then they are called good
Kashmiris; and those who speak against this are called bad Kashmiris – just
like a good Taliban and a bad Taliban. In view of this, I rather be called a
bad Kashmiri than a good Kashmiri, because my priority is to fight against
injustice and inequality, and what exploiters and ocupiers say does not trouble
me.
Mr Chairman,
Thank you for your patience.
India
is also responsible for human rights abuses
Geneva 17 March 2014
After the speeches of
experts an interactive dialogue ensued in a seminar held during the UN Human
Rights session in Geneva. Dr Shabir Choudhry who was chairing the seminar, in a
reply to a question said:
To us presence of India and
Pakistan in various parts of Jammu and Kashmir State is against the law and against
our wishes. However, it is strange that those who speak against the Indian
wrong doings in Kashmir are promoted as patriots and leaders; and those who
speak for all the citizens of the entire divided Princely State and advance pro
people and pro peace policies are castigated as not loyal, and anti Kashmiri
struggle.
I agree that India has
failed to fulfil its responsibilities assumed under the Provisional Accession
and the UNCIP Resolutions. Prime responsibility of every government is to protect
life, liberty and property of its citizens. Although Jammu and Kashmir is not
legally part of India, but India has responsibility to ensure that innocent
people do not become victims of inequality, injustice and oppression.
India’s claim to be the biggest
democracy is tarnished when people of Jammu and Kashmir continue to suffer and
human rights abuses are still taking place? We don’t know the exact number of
people killed since the start of the Pakistani sponsored militancy in 1988; and
how many of them were militants, and how many were innocent civilians.
In any case, it is
responsibility of the rulers to maintain law and order, and ensure that
innocent people do not suffer; and where innocent citizens are victims the
offenders must be made accountable for their actions. Human rights abuses, no
matter where they take place should be opposed and condemned.
In this interactive dialogue
the following people took active part: KNP Chairman Abbas Butt, UKPNP Chairman
Shaukat Kashmiri, JKDLP leader Junaid Qureshi, Human rights defenders Jamil
Maqsood, Altaf Wani, Amjad Yousaf, Bilal Baloch and Mr Jacob.
Dr Shabir
Choudhry replying to a question during interactive dialogue; Mr Abbas Butt is
on his left and Mr Maurice Katala on the right.
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