Interactive dialogue with All Parties Parliamentary Group. Dr Shabir Choudhry

Interactive dialogue with All Parties Parliamentary Group.

Dr Shabir Choudhry              27 March 2019.

All Parties Parliamentary Group arranged a meeting for the Kashmiri diaspora in the British Parliament on 25 March 2019. This interactive dialogue was first of its kind, where people from the both sides, representing various viewpoints were invited with an open invitation.

Debbie Abrahams MP, Chairperson of the APPG deserves credit for this. In the past, only some ‘chosen people’ were invited to discuss issues related to Jammu and Kashmir dispute from a certain perspective, which seemed to be prejudiced in favour of one party to the dispute.

True nationalists were deliberately kept away from this forum, and despite repeated requests, and letters the previous Chairman ignored them. Perhaps, there was no green signal to extend invitation to those who presented a counter narrative.

We people of Jammu and Kashmir are so divided, and apprehensive of each other that we cannot assemble under same roof, unless some European is in charge of the event.

Those who promote a narrative that suits the Pakistani establishment, ensure that they do not invite those who are true representatives of the Third Option, of united and independent Jammu and Kashmir.

If pro independent people arrange some seminar or conference, some pro Pakistan parties, even when invited ensure they boycott it, because they don’t want to annoy Islamabad.

Thanks to positive and forward looking approach of Debbie Abrahams, we all sat under one room for two hours; and there was no apparent bitterness or opposition to each other.

I sincerely hope that this process will continue, and this forum will help to iron out some differences, and help us to advance a pro peace and pro people agenda, rather than agenda of one party  to the dispute.

Coming back to the event itself, the total number of MPs who walked in to the Conference room, and showed their faces was twelve. Some only stayed there for 10 minutes. About 4-5 MPs were always there.

Apart from the MPs, all people present, and who wanted to speak were allowed to present their view point. Debbie Abrahams deserves credit for this too. However, she was not always impartial, as some people were allowed to speak more than once. Some were allowed to speak for more than ten minutes.

When I spoke for 3-4 minutes, she interrupted me, even though, I did not insult anyone. I did not use unparliamentary language, or attack anyone, yet I was stopped, and in respect of the Chair I sat down. It is possible that she thought my narrative was going against the agenda of the APPG.

 What I said was as follows:

1.   After appreciating the Chairperson for inviting us, I said, People talked of getting the UN involved in the Kashmir dispute. The UN was involved, and the Security Council passed a resolution on 13 August 1948, and demanded Pakistan to withdraw all the troops, withdraw all tribesmen and all those Pakistanis who went there for the purpose of fighting.

2.   After the Pakistan withdrawal, India had to withdraw ‘bulk’ of the troops. Because Pakistan did not withdraw, and no progress on the plebiscite could be made.

3.   Later on other events took over, and in 1972, both India and Pakistan signed the Simla Pact, and agreed that both countries will decide Kashmir bilaterally. In view of that, there is no role for the UN, unless both countries agree to take it back to the UN Security Council.

4.   Similarly those who say there should be third party mediation, need to understand the legal situation. Unless both governments agree there cannot be any mediation from anyone.

5.   Some people are suggesting that people of Jammu and Kashmir must be made part of the negotiations. I agree with that, but who will represent the people? Pandit community have been driven out of their house. In Gilgit Baltistan State Subject laws are violated, and tens of thousands of Pakistanis have been settled there who control politics and economy.

6.   Jammu and Ladakh are not part of this struggle. People of Gilgit Baltistan have different views than other regions. Same is the situation in Azad Kashmir. We all know who APHC represents, surely not people of Jammu and Kashmir. So who will represent us?

7.   We have seen enough suffering and dead bodies. We want peace and stability. Whether Pakistan fires a shell or India fires it, we people of Jammu and Kashmir on both sides of the divide suffer, and get killed.

8.   The first step should be to silence guns that we can create conducive environment that people of Jammu and Kashmir meet and have intra Kashmir dialogue. I suggest that both countries should pull back from the LOC…

At that time Debbie Abrahams interrupted me, and in respect of her, I had to stop and sit down.

It is sad that even after abruptly stopping me, she allowed at least 2 people to speak for more than ten minutes, perhaps what they said was more in tune with thinking of the APPG.

Anyhow, no hard feelings on my part. I hope that the next meeting will be better than this one, and we will all able to advance an agreed agenda, which will be pro peace and pro people.

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.

Email: Drshabirchoudhry@gmail.com       Twitter:  @Drshabir