Kashmir: The Issue, Global Scenario and Policy Imperatives

World must end criminal silence over deteriorating situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir: PM AJ&K

India
is using intimidation and coercion as weapons of state in occupied
Kashmir. It is now the moral duty of the UNSC and international
community to end their criminal silence and stop India from pursuing its
hegemonic designs, which have escalated after it abrogated the article
370 and 35-A on August 5.

The
call was made by Raja Farooq Haider, Prime Minister, Azad Jammu and
Kashmir (AJ&K), while addressing an international seminar titled
‘Kashmir: The Issue, Global Scenario and Policy Imperatives’ which was
organized by Institute of Policy Studies(IPS), Islamabad, in
collaboration with Policy Research Forum, Azad Jammu and Kashmir
(PRFAJK) and Maritime Study Forum (MSF) on November 26, 2019.

Chaired
by former senator Javed Jabbar, the event was also addressed by
national and international speakers of high stature including Khalid
Rahman, executive president, IPS, Professor Dr Roger van Zwanenberg, a
veteran scholar of history and political economy based in London,
Professor Dr Yashpal Amarchand Tandon, a Ugandian-British policymaker of
Indian descent, Dr Akis Kalaitzidis, professor of political science at
the Department of Government, International Studies and Languages,
University of Central Missouri, USA, Prof Dr Halil Toker, Istanbul
University, Syed Iftikhar Gilani, a senior journalist from Indian
Occupied Kashmir, now based in Ankara, Dr Asma Shakir Khwaja, associate
professor, National Defence University (NDU), Prof Dr Nazir Hussain,
director, School of Politics and International Relations, Quaid-i-Azam
University, Islamabad, Prof Dr Fazl ul Hadi Wazeen, an academic and
politician based in Kabul, Dr Syed Muhammad Anwer, former deputy
attorney general of Pakistan and president MSF, Air Cdr (r) Khalid
Iqbal, senior security analyst and member IPS National Academic Council,
and Farzana Yaqoob, IPS associate and a former member, Legislative
Assembly of AJ&K.

Haider,
in his keynote speech, said that over 100 days have passed since India
laid siege to occupied Kashmir, imposed curfew, and violated UN
resolutions as well as all international and national agreements in the
process. During this period, the Indian army has arrested thousands of
citizens, including Kashmiri leaders, and meted out inhuman treatment to
the youth of Kashmir under the garb of so-called house searches. There
have been severe human rights violations in IoK and widespread incidents
of brutal torture, rape, mass killings, forced disappearances, use of
pellet guns and human shields have been reported; and sadly all this has
been carried out as the occupying state’s policy with all its
institutions – including legislature, executive, judiciary and armed
forces – forming a part of it.

He
said that on one the hand there is a crippling clampdown on
communication in a place where journalists are protesting for their
right to speak, whereas on the other the Indian media is mastering the
art of biased and fake reporting, trying to paint a false picture of
normalcy in IoK. Along with human rights violations, the economic loss
of the state has been catastrophic and is leading to severe humanitarian
crisis. According to the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and
Industry(KCCI), the economic losses ran into least 100 billion rupees
($1.40 billion) by September, he added.

Haider
maintained that the provisional arrangements that India had made
through Articles 35-A and 370 were just eyewash and now their revocation
has been done only to pave the way to change demography in the held
territory, which is not only a violation of international law and the UN
resolutions, but is also considered a war crime under Geneva
Convention. The fact that India had to use its reinforced might in the
territory even after occupying it for over 70 years is proof enough that
the region seeks a different solution. This is not the first time that
the determination of Kashmiris has been put to the test, their
unwavering and unfailing spirit however has always remained firm,
authenticating that their right of self-determination must be
recognized.

The
onus, according to Haider, was now on the UN Security Council to stop
treating Kashmir as an orphan of a global family and set up an
international commission of inquiry to examine the real situation
prevailing in the held territory. If the international community fails
to resolve the Kashmir issue through peaceful political means and in
accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people through immediate
and fair plebiscite, the possibility of Kashmiri people having to opt
for undesired means cannot be ruled out, he stressed.

The
AJ&K premier also urged Pakistan to adopt innovative and proactive
approach while making use of efficient diplomacy to strengthen its voice
for the Kashmir cause, maintaining that it is majorly a handful of
countries to which we should deliver our message across in a bid to
raise international awareness over the issue.

Jabbar
said that Kashmir is the region with the highest number of soldiers in
the world whereas the Kashmiris are struggling for their identity for
over 70 years. They have been facing atrocities and oppression all this
long, and now there is also illegal annexation, imposition of a curfew
and use of pallet guns. He stated that Pakistan today is the sole
custodian of Kashmir cause as a nation state and for that purpose, we
need to create solidarity not only within our ranks but the rest of the
world as well. With 8 million people locked up for over 100 days, there
is surely so much to be done. We need to get our message across to those
states around the world which believe in democracy and that can be done
through reinforced diplomatic strategy and by investing in media.

Prof
Dr Roger van Zwanenberg talked about the extent and depth of
neo-liberalism and global political economy, maintaining how the
phenomenon has affected the geo-strategic dynamics of South Asia as
well. After presenting a brief history of pre-partition scenario, Roger
said that the conundrum that is Kashmir today is everyone’s problem and
needs an urgent solution. Pakistan can take the lead in this regard, and
with the key role of Britain and the UN, and support of China and
European Union, the solution should be sought. 

Professor
Dr Yashpal Amarchand Tondon shed light into the geo-politics of the
area as well of the ongoing era. Briefly discussing his views on the
history of the disputed region, he expressed his fears over any sort of
Indo-Pak conflict. Stressing on diffusing all sorts of rifts between the
two countries, he warned that the possibilities of a nuclear war cannot
be ruled out if the tensions between the two countries escalates to
that point.

Prof
Dr Halil Toker severy critized the lockdown of Indian occupied Kashmir
post August 5. He termed India an occupational force that was committing
human rights violations in the region. He stressed that Muslim
countries of the world need to connect with each other to resolve the
issue, whereas media also has a huge role to play bridging activists and
leaders of Kashmir with the leaders of the world in order to present
the true picture of situation in IoK.

Dr
Akis Kalaitzidis expressed his disappointment that the impact of
India’s coercive actions was not felt internationally as much as it
should have been. He viewed that the human rights organizations on
ground had a bigger role to play in this regard. He advised on creating a
network of such organizations to disrupt India’s aggression in the
region, viewing that sustaining and enlarging these networks would be
the quickest way to bring the on ground situation in Kashmir to global
attention.

Prof
Dr Fazl ul Hadi Wazeen viewed that the tensions between India and
Pakistan were not only problematic for the two countries but for the
whole region. He said that the situation of Kashmir had an impact on
Middle East as well. He stressed that both countries should try to
resolve the Kashmir issue in a very peaceful way, a failure in doing so
can lead to very undesirable consequences.

Dr
Nazir Hussain lamented that there is no connect between academic
research and policymaking in Pakistan over Kashmir issue for the last 70
years. He stressed on backing the policies over Kashmir by generating a
strong academic discourse in a bid to make our narrative over the issue
more logical and cogent.

Air
Cdr (r) Khalid Iqbal opined that states and societies of today are
becoming increasingly polarized and the trend is spreading in all parts
of the world. The phenomenon is resulting in the rise of far right
elements, a reflection of which has been on display in IoK as well as in
India itself.

Dr
Asma Shakir Khwaja pointed that Kashmir is the only Muslim majority
state within the area controlled by India and hence serves as a
representation how the country would treat the Muslims in India itself.
She said that Hindutva is the resurgence of Hindu nationalism. It
encourages power centralization and believes in building walls within
the society. India says that it has taken steps to annex Kashmir for the
betterment of its people, but in reality it believes and is practicing
the use of fear as a tool when it is not able to win the heart and mind
of the people of Kashmir.

Rahman,
earlier in his opening speech, said that Kashmir is an incomplete
agenda of the subcontinent’s partition as well as the oldest issue on
the UN list as it has both regional and global implications associated
with it.

He
said that Kashmir’s struggle is ongoing for long as India has been
denying their rights for over 70 years. Now the Maoist Indian government
has played its final tactics in Kashmir, there has been an illegal
annexation, there is a curfew in place for over 100 days and there are
severe human rights violations taking place over there.

Speaking
of the role of the UN as well as the international community over the
matter, Rahman questioned what is the global response after India’s
action of August 5, especially after the statements of China, Turkey and
Malaysia in UNGA favoring Kashmiris? Rahman stressed that the curfew in
IoK must urgently be lifted, Indian troops should return back,
prisoners must be released and the people of Kashmir must be given a
fair chance to exercise their right of self-determination sooner rather
than later.

Summarizing,
all the national and international speakers present on the occasion
highlighted the importance of Kashmir for peace and stability in the
subcontinent, encapsulating repercussions of the Kashmir standoff if not
addressed early. The speakers maintained that researchers, scholars,
media and the civil society all have an important role to play in the
resolution of the issue as the prevailing situation is not in the
benefit for any country individually or for the region as whole.