When we look at the history of Indian subcontinent, it has always remained a womb of many disputes and battles, being a gateway of many conquerors since the beginning of time. It attracted almost everyone due to fertility of its soil and place of paramount economic importance as well as social opportunities with now over 1.8 billion population occupying major landmass of 1.7 million square miles of South Asia. Kashmir Issue
Presence of nuclear powers and the Kashmir issue
However, the magnitude of disputes in past was not too dangerous because of the limited availability of modern weapons. But now the things have changed so largely that presence of nuclear powers in the region has made the situation too risky in case of any non-resolving conflict between these nuclear powers.
At present, the Kashmir issue is one of such long-standing disputes between India and Pakistan, and since the revocation Of Article 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution, India has not only implemented an unprecedented curfew in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir(IIOJ&K) but also violated the eleven United Nations Security Council resolutions, transgressed United Nations Human Rights Charter, two UN Human Rights Reports, Simla Accord between both the countries and basic human rights of over eight million Kashmiris.
Read More: All Kashmiris aspire to join Pakistan: President AJ&K Masood Khan
Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu And Kashmir
Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu And Kashmir is still under unending siege from the last one year. The seriousness of the problem cannot be imagined until one suffers from the very state of affairs. Additionally, Indian Government is not apologetic at all and construction of Ram Mandir over the place of demolished Babri Mosque just added fuel to the fire by the clear exhibition of hatred against Muslims.
Moreover, the international community has adopted criminal silence over the extreme infringement of human rights may be considering Kashmiris the children of a lesser God.
On 5th August 2020, Pakistan protested vehemently at completion of one year of siege in IIOJ&K and also issued a new political map including IIOJ&K in Pakistan marked as disputed region. Now, steps ought to be followed include;Kashmiri diaspora of abroad in particular Europe, North America, people of azad Jammu and Kashmir(AJ&K) and IIOJ&K are needed to be included in the process of struggle for the freedom of Kashmir.
Read More: World Minorities day: Pakistan reminds the world of Kashmiri plight
Kashmir diplomatic front
On diplomatic front, from last two years Kashmir issue has been highlighted eloquently but before this era, the Kashmir issue was put on back burner long ago. Diplomacy regarding Kashmir issue remained absent in the past. Things did not work out properly as diplomacy is not an event but a process and the process was missing. Aggressive diplomacy is needed to address the conflict especially after imposing inhuman curfew in IIOJ&K from last one year.
There should be a sole representative for the people of Kashmir, who must lead the Kashmir cause so clearly as Prime Minister Imran Khan And Foreign Minister are too busy with their limited time constraints and they cannot properly propagate the issue as special envoy can, although Imran Khan highlighted it strongly on international stage. Therefore, a Special envoy on Kashmir is need of the hour. Pakistan must also nominate a plebiscite advisor to prepare people of Kashmir and overseas Kashmiris to aggregate the support in case of referendum.
As world knows now that Kashmir is not India’s internal matter. It is an international dispute. India’s actions on August 5, 2019 were a violation of UNSC Resolutions and international law, and its own leaders’ commitments. The world must pay attention to the catastrophic humanitarian tragedy unfolding in IIOJ&K, which has all the hallmarks of a genocide. India has tried to erase Kashmiris’ identity.
Read More: Modi’s Kashmir gamble and Pakistan’s policy options
Bleakest year in the history in the history of IIOJ&K
The bleakest year in the history of IIOJ&K as Kashmiris mark one year siege of arbitrary arrests, killings, torture, rapes, hatred against minorities and, following India’s colonial domicile laws, land grab. Instead of loosening its stranglehold on the Kashmiri people, India has used COVID-19 to double down on its oppression in Kashmir. There are even more arrests, more extrajudicial killings. 30,000 young Kashmiri boys have been disappeared forcefully.
India has itself paid the ultimate tribute to the Kashmiris’ spirit and resistance by imposing curfew in IIOJ&K even before August 5. Kashmiris have not accepted the injustice and the denial of their right to self-determination. Events over the last year have proved that Pakistan’s warnings to the international community about Kashmir Siege being the opening gambit in BJP’s implementation of its RSS inspired extremist racial Hindutva agenda were well-founded.
The Kashmiri cauldron could trigger explosions, destroy regional peace , rip apart fabric of political geography and spark wider conflagrations. America and International community must assert its moral authority and use its influence to extinguish the fires now burning in Kashmir.
On 6 August 2020, UNSC again for the second time expressed concerns over the human rights situation in the IIOJ&K after imposing curfew by India, which has been on its agenda for over 70 years. The UNSC, under the UN Charter, not only has the responsibility for maintaining international peace and security but also of ensuring implementation of its resolutions.
Read More: Kashmir: the death nail of ‘Incredible India’?
Pakistan at United Nations (UN) addressing Kashmir Issue
Pakistan at United Nations(UN) has underscored the need for the world community to end India’s human rights violations in illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir and move to resolve the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN resolutions.
Pakistan must first and foremost, rely on Muslim World Leaders to uphold the right to self-determination of Kashmiri people. India increased its troop strength in Kashmir to 900,000 – one soldier for every eight Kashmiris and it imposed a military siege, a 24 hour curfew, and all political leaders and prominent Kashmiris are incarcerated.
India has opened the door to demographic transformation and more than 400,000 thousand Indian military and civilian officials and their families have already obtained residency rights in Kashmir. Demographic flooding of an occupied territory violates Security Council resolutions, the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Genocide Convention.
At the end, economic might is real power in today’s world but India must think about humanity and must lift the curfew as freedom is Kashmiris basic human right. Peace must be given a chance otherwise radicalisation would have serious repercussions. Because conflicts and wars never benefitted any nation but only destruction is achieved as end product.
Dr. Zeeshan Khan is an analyst, commentator, content writer and contributor to the Op-Ed pages of different newspapers in Pakistan and India. He tweets @DrZeeshanKhanA1 and can be reached at dr.zeeshan.alias.ghazikhan@gmail.com. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Global Village Space.