I want to make a confession. Dr Shabir Choudhry

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 14^th August 1947, and on 20^th 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