Prime Minister of Pakistan, thank you.
Dr Shabir Choudhry
While clarifying policy of Pakistan on Kashmir, Prime Minister
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi unambiguously stated, and rejected the idea of an
"independent Kashmir".
However, in a reply to a question, he further
said the idea of an "independent Kashmir is often floated around but has
no reality. There is no support for the demand for independent Kashmir".
Prime Minister Abbasi was addressing a
conference on 'Future of Pakistan 2017' held at the London School of Economics'
South Asia Centre in London. His statement angered many young citizens of Jammu
and Kashmir; and some even used harsh words against him, which I personally do
not approve.
I don’t know why these young citizens of
Jammu and Kashmir expressed their anger against Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. What he
said has always been official policy of State of Pakistan. They have always
opposed concept of an independent Jammu and Kashmir. Their policy of opposing
an independent Jammu and Kashmir was clearly reflected in the UN Security
Council; and on Pakistani suggestion, our right to independence was changed to
a right of accession to India or Pakistan in the UNCIP Resolution of 5 January
1949.
Pakistani secret agencies and various
government officials and members of establishment take pride in the fact that
they opposed ‘conspiracy’ of the independent Kashmir; and ‘successfully
sabotaged the movement for an independent Jammu and Kashmir’.
If people of Jammu and Kashmir,
especially Muslims do not have sufficient knowledge or sense to understand what
Pakistan has done to Jammu and Kashmir dispute, and how they continue to
manipulate sentiments of people and the situation to advance a Pakistani agenda
then that is not fault of Pakistan.
The Pakistani establishment knows that
religion is a powerful weapon. It is this weapon which helped to divide India
and establish Pakistan. Religion continues to play a crucial role in politics
of the Indian Sub - Continent. This weapon of religion has helped the
establishment to widen the gulf between India and Pakistan; and ensure there is
no peace and stability in the region.
The establishment has mastered the art of
using religion to divide people, fool them and advance their agenda. They know
how they have fooled people of Jammu and Kashmir for the past 70 years. If
anyone tells the people that Pakistani establishment is not sincere with the
cause of Jammu and Kashmir, and that their policy on Jammu and Kashmir is
imperialistic in nature, they activate their brigade of foot soldiers
File image of Pakistan prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
Reuters
Pakistan’s hypocrisy
I
appreciate honesty of Mr Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on issue of Jammu and Kashmir
dispute. He has openly acknowledged that Pakistan will not accept an
independent Kashmir. This also is an acknowledgment that Pakistani governments
are fooling people in name of self-determination, because we people of Jammu
and Kashmir do not have a right of self-determination available under the UN
Resolutions.
What
we have is a right of accession. People of Jammu and Kashmir can decide, when
and if, plebiscite take place, if they want to become part of India or part of
Pakistan. This right of accession was presented to the people of Jammu and
Kashmir as a ‘right of self-determination’; and sadly, many people accepted
what was presented by the government of Pakistan.
On
the other hand, in November 2017, Pakistan presented a resolution on self - determination
in the General Assembly, which was accepted unanimously, ‘reaffirming
that the universal realisation of the right of peoples to self-determination
was a fundamental condition for the effective guarantee and observance of human
rights’. 1
At the time of introducing the resolution
in the third Committee of the General Assembly, Ms Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan’s
Ambassador said, ‘self-determination had provided hope to people in their
struggle against foreign occupation, a right that had been upheld by all major
summits of the United Nations, Non-Aligned Movement and Organisation of Islamic
Cooperation (OIC)’. 2
If
you read carefully Pakistani government seems to be very concerned about
fundamental rights of the oppressed people, and against their struggle against
foreign occupation; but boldly deny the same rights to the people of Gilgit
Baltistan and Pakistani Administered Jammu and Kashmir.
A
Pakistani Professor Moonis Ahmar seems to be more honest and understanding. In
his article, published in Pakistan, he writes:
Kashmiris are the real stakeholders in the age-old
conflict between India and Pakistan because of the two main reasons. First,
millions of Kashmiris on both sides of the fence have enormously suffered in
the last seven decades because of armed conflict between India and Pakistan and
the ruthlessness of the Indian security forces particularly since 1990. Since
they are the sufferers of the conflict, it is their legitimate right to be
included in any process which aims to seek normalcy and restore peace in the
region of J&K…The identity of Jammu & Kashmir requires that it should
have a separate state managed fairly by the representatives of the five regions
of J&K while having peaceful relations with their neighbours — India, Pakistan and China. 3
References:
1.
Dawn,
November 18th, 2017
2.
Ibid
3.
Kashmiris
are the real stakeholders, Moonis Ahmar, Professor
of International Relations at the University of Karachi. Published
in Daily Times, November 24th 2017.
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
