News Analysis |
President Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Sardar Masood said, “India-held Kashmir is on fire but the world community is not sending any fire-fighters or peacekeepers to extinguish the blaze.”
He gave these remarks addressing a convention of British councilors, lord mayors and mayors in London hosted by the Pakistan High Commission on February 25, 2018. He added that the international community is more inclined to appease India pursuing their economic interests instead of sending United Nations peacekeeping forces while Indian forces are continuing unprovoked firing in the disputed territories of Jammu & Kashmir, specifically along the Line of Control (LOC).
Thousands of innocent civilian are being killed, tortured, maimed and fired at by the brutal Indian activities in this region of Occupied Kashmir exploiting their human rights. He asserted that unlike other conflicted areas of the world, Kashmir remained invisible in the eyes of the international community.
India’s Chief Minister announced recently that India has various options against Pakistan including “Surgical Strikes”. If this happens, the chances of war are more likely. India is restricting the possibilities of peace through anti-Pakistan rhetoric.
He suggested that UN Secretary General António Guterres must take measures to stop this illegal killing of Kashmiris by Indians taking full cognizance of this issue. He presented some examples that the UN had intervened in South Sudan, Mali, Central African Republic, Yemen, and Libya, without waiting for the consent of the parties involved in the conflict.
He asked the UN Secretary General not to be deterred by India’s non-compliance regarding the Kashmir issue. He appealed to the convention to raise the Kashmir conflict in legislative bodies, conventions and conferences moving towards resolutions. It is an international issue and seeks global attention because bilateral solution of this conflict is far from any solution because of India’s rigidity on bilateral talks with Pakistan.
The people of Kashmir should be given right of self-determination to decide their political future in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.
Read more: Indian misconduct continues to fuel conflict in Kashmir
He added that Azad Kashmir is the part of the joint venture of China and Pakistan (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) and a hub of economic activity focusing on roads, hydropower generation, high quality higher education, universal access to health, organization of tourism as an industry, exploitation of extractive industry, and development of the agriculture sector.
They were further updated about Pakistan Army’s activities to provide relief to the people of Kashmir. This shows that Pakistan is playing an active role to seek attention of other countries to look deeply into the Kashmir matter.
On the other side, India shows intolerance towards the development projects claiming that the CPEC route passes through the disputed territory of Kashmir. Do the people of Kashmir have no right to live in the developed area with increased opportunities of livelihood?
This demonstrates that India deliberately does not intend to raise the standards of living of the Kashmiri people by halting the development of CPEC. Apart from this conflicted area, there are other disputed areas of the world where development has not stopped such as in Arunachal Prades. The universality of human rights of the people across the world is being challenged.
Moreover, the US backs India’s stance rather focusing on development to raise the standards of living of Kashmiri people who are deprived of basic amenities of life and targeted regularly by India. There were around 1800 ceasefire violations by India across the LOC in 2017 that left above 72 dead, and 52 injured since the beginning of 2018.
Pakistan has taken Defence Attaches of six countries; US, UK, France, China, Turkey and Indonesia for a visit of Line of Control (LOC) in Rawalakot Sector of Azad Jammu & Kashmir to get firsthand knowledge of India’s ceasefire violations which resulted in the deaths of several civilians on February 23rd, 2018.
Read more: Kashmir’s alarming situation
They also interacted with the families of the victims of Indian shelling and firing, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported. They were further updated about Pakistan Army’s activities to provide relief to the people of Kashmir. This shows that Pakistan is playing an active role to seek attention of other countries to look deeply into the Kashmir matter.
As the LOC is the most dangerous part of the world lying between two nuclear states, India and Pakistan, the international community, specifically the US, must play an active role to ensure the ceasefire along this area is not violated. India’s Chief Minister announced recently that India has various options against Pakistan including “Surgical Strikes”. If this happens, the chances of war are more likely. India is restricting the possibilities of peace through anti-Pakistan rhetoric.