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                        <title>The Express Tribune</title>
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			<title>Kashmir Day: Military pays homage to valiant struggle of Kashmiris</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2455495/kashmir-day-military-pays-homage-to-valiant-struggle-of-kashmiris</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2455495/kashmir-day-military-pays-homage-to-valiant-struggle-of-kashmiris#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 04 Feb 24 19:39:29 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[news.desk]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan's armed forces stand in solidarity with Kashmiris, recognising their sacrifices for liberation]]>
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				<![CDATA[In a display of solidarity, Pakistan&#39;s Armed Forces, alongside the Chairmen of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCsSC), and Services Chiefs, have paid heartfelt homage to the unwavering resolve and courageous struggle of the people of Kashmir.

They have stood resolute in the face of grave human rights violations and enduring inhumane lockdowns imposed by Indian occupation forces in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in statement on Monday to mark the Kashmir Day.



#ISPR
Armed Forces of #Pakistan, CJCSC &amp; Services Chiefs paid rich tribute to people of #Kashmir for their resolve &amp; valiant struggle, #کشمیر_بنے_گا_پاکستان #COAS

consistently braving grave human rights violations and inhumane lockdown in #IIOJK under Indian occupation forces.&hellip; pic.twitter.com/cTT23OJf3j
&mdash; Pakistan Armed Forces News 🇵🇰 (@PakistanFauj) February 4, 2024


The Kashmir conflict, lingering on the UN agenda since 1948, remains unresolved.

&ldquo;The issue has to be resolved as per the aspirations of the people of Kashmir and in accordance with UN Resolutions providing for their right to self-determination.&rdquo; It continued.

Despite decades of oppression and atrocities inflicted by Indian occupation forces, the spirit of the Kashmiri people remains unbroken. Their legitimate pursuit for freedom persists, serving as a testament to their resilience and unwavering commitment to justice.

Read also: PAC hosts vibrant Kashmir solidarity event

The armed forces expressed solidarity with the people of Kashmir, acknowledging the immense sacrifices they endure in their quest for liberation.

The message highlighted the inevitability of the Kashmiri struggle prevailing. &ldquo;The night is indeed the darkest before dawn - the heroic struggle for Azadi is destined to succeed, InshAllah.&rdquo; it proclaimed

This tribute underscores Pakistan&#39;s steadfast support for the Kashmiri cause and its unwavering commitment to advocating for the rights and aspirations of the Kashmiri people on international platforms.]]>
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			<title>People rally for Kashmir cause</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2282820/people-rally-for-kashmir-cause</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2282820/people-rally-for-kashmir-cause#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 06 Feb 21 03:37:55 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Islamabad]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2282820</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Denounce double standards of world community against Indian brutalities in IIOJK]]>
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				<![CDATA[People in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi voiced wholehearted support to the Kashmiri peoples&rsquo; right to self-determination and denounced the brutalities of the forces in the Illegally Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

Various political, social, and trade organisations held rallies, seminars, and walks to highlight the misery of the people of IIOJK suffering under state-terrorism perpetrated by the Indian occupation forces. Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Anwarul Haq leading a rally said the Pakistani nation stood with the cause for the liberation of Kashmir from the clutches of India and the holding of a plebiscite as per the UN resolutions. &ldquo;The lockdown in Kashmir should be ended, the genocide of Kashmiris should be stopped,&rdquo; he said while addressing a walk organised by the Joint Action Committee Schools and Colleges Rawalpindi District on the occasion of Kashmir Solidarity Day.

Addressing the gathering, the committee&rsquo;s central chairman Malik Abrar Hussain, chairman Raja Ilyas, Member District Registration Authority Irfan Muzaffar Kayani, Ashraf Hiraj, Abdul Hameed, Munawar Shah maintained that it was necessary to hold such a walk to create awareness among the school children about the Kashmir issue.

Similarly, the Rawalpindi Arts Council and Islamic Students Federation held an All Pakistan Inter-Madrassa Speech Competition titled Kashmir Issue to sensitise the youth about the unfinished agenda of the formation of Pakistan. More than 70 students from madrassas across the country expressed their views on Kashmir Issue in English, Chinese, Arabic,Persian, and Urdu. Separately, the Rawalpindi and Islamabad chapters of the Jamaate-Islami held a Kashmir Solidarity rally in Sadiqabad. Deputy Ameer of JI Raza Ahmad Shah led the rally. He said the oppressed Kashmiris had been fighting for their rights for the past 73 years and had been laying down their lives for the cause of freedom.

For the last one-and-a-half year, India has imposed curfew in IIOJK, he said, adding that youths of Kashmir are being martyred and women raped while the UNO and the OIC remained silent spectators.

Lal Haveli rally Addressing a mammoth rally outside the Lal Haveli, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said the people of IIOJK would get red rid of Indian atrocities soon and decide their fate by themselves. The sacrifices of Kashmiri people would bear fruit and a time would come when they would get their right to self-determination. For the last seven decades, Rashid said Kashmiris were struggling against the illegal Indian occupation on their region and were awaking the world&rsquo;s conscience. There would be instability in the region if the fascist India was not stopped from committing atrocities against Kashmiris and other minorities, he added.

Meanwhile, Rescue 1122 personnel also organised a rally to show solidarity with Kashmiris. Hundreds of rescue workers participated in the rally &lsquo;Double standards&rsquo; Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan asked the international community to shun their double standards on Kashmir and resolve the decades-long issue in line with the resolutions passed by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as were implemented in East Timor and South Sudan. Addressing a Kashmir Solidarity Day event in Taxila, he said Pakistan was incomplete without Kashmir and it was a legal and moral binding on the member countries of the UN to give people of IIOJK their legitimate right of self-determination as per the UN Security Council&rsquo;s resolutions.

Federal capital Several rallies were held in the federal capital to mark the Kashmir Solidarity Day. Members of civil society held an awareness walk outside the parliament. The traders of Sector F-10 Markaz took out a rally in support of the Kashmir cause. The Muslim Institute organised a solidarity walk from China Chowk Blue Area to the Islamabad Press Club.]]>
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			<title>Unfinished business: Kashmir struggle unites south Punjab</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/1041279/unfinished-business-kashmir-struggle-unites-south-punjab</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/1041279/unfinished-business-kashmir-struggle-unites-south-punjab#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 05 Feb 16 21:37:45 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondents]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=1041279</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Citizens form human chains across region]]>
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				<![CDATA[Kashmir Day was marked across south Punjab on Friday with traditional zeal and passion to highlight the need to resolve the longstanding dispute in line with the resolutions of the United Nations (UN).

Activists from religious parties and political organisations formed a human chain from Multan’s Ghanta Ghar Chowk to Hussainagahi area. Rallies, public meetings, seminars and other events were organised across the length and breadth of south Punjab to bring the world’s attention to Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&amp;K’s) plight.

“The nation’s independence struggle is incomplete without the resolution of the J&amp;K dispute,” Imran, one of the participants at a Kashmir Day rally, said. Ilahi Baksh, another participant, said the sacrifices of the people of the region would not go in vain. He said they would culminate in the area’s freedom. Another participant Hassan Murtaza said J&amp;K was the jugular vein of the nation. He said Pakistanis would continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Kashmiris in their quest for freedom.

Traders’ associations also staged protest demonstrations on the occasion. Participants burnt tyres on roads to register their outrage over Indian atrocities in the region. Special functions were also arranged across educational institutions to express solidarity with the people of the disputed territory.

Citizens formed human chains in Multan, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Khanewal, Lodhran, Vehari, Rahim Yar Khan, Muzaffargarh and Layyah to express solidarity with Kashmiris amid foolproof security arrangements. One-minute silence was also observed to pay homage to those martyred in Kashmir and pay tribute to them for striving for freedom.

Bahawalpur

Islamia University Vice Chancellor Qaiser Mushtaq said the Kashmiri struggle for self-determination had universal recognition.

The vice chancellor made the remarks while addressing faculty members and students at a special function organised in connection with Kashmir Day. Mushtaq said Pakistanis would continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the people of the territory till the dispute was resolved in line with the results of a plebiscite.  He said Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had called J&amp;K the jugular vein of the nation. Mushtaq said Pakistanis had committed their support to Kashmiris in their struggle for freedom.

The varsity’s students expressed sentiments of support for the people of the region by delivering sympathetic speeches and wielding placards inscribed with pro-freedom slogans. The university’s security personnel also held a parade on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 6th, 2016.]]>
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			</item><item>
			<title>Braving Snow: Neelum valley residents form human chain</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/503281/braving-snow-neelum-valley-residents-form-human-chain</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/503281/braving-snow-neelum-valley-residents-form-human-chain#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 06 Feb 13 05:23:11 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Jammu &amp; Kashmir]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=503281</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The chain was in support of their freedom-loving brethren in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Braving rain and heavy snowfall, residents of the scenic Neelum valley in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) marked Kashmir Solidarity Day by forming a human chain in support of their freedom-loving brethren in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.


A large number of people from all segments of society observed Solidarity Day, held under the auspices of the Neelam District National Events Organising Committee.

Addressing the rally, speakers pointed out that with the passage of time, the indigenous struggle for freedom has attracted world attention, with the international community desirous of an early peaceful resolution of the Kashmir conflict through a composite dialogue mechanism between India and Pakistan.

“It is crystal clear that grave atrocities are being committed by the 80,000 Indian troops stationed in Jammu and Kashmir. Every day killings of innocent Kashmiris, including women and children, are witnessed,” said speakers, reminding the local community of the unmarked graves being discovered in the valley each day. Participant of the rally called upon the United Nations and the international community to help Kashmiri people in getting their fundamental rights to self-determination by implementing its resolutions in letter and spirit.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 6th, 2013.]]>
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			<title>In solidarity: Pakistan incomplete without Kashmir, says JI</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/503278/in-solidarity-pakistan-incomplete-without-kashmir-says-ji</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/503278/in-solidarity-pakistan-incomplete-without-kashmir-says-ji#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 06 Feb 13 05:03:00 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=503278</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Speakers condemn MFN status for India, demand resolution of dispute.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[The struggle for the freedom of Kashmir is a struggle to geographically complete Pakistan, said Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) spokesperson Fareed Paracha on Tuesday, adding that solidarity for the cause is synonymous with supporting the idea of Pakistan.


Addressing a rally of JI activists at G-9 Markaz in the capital, Paracha said “without Kashmir, Pakistan cannot be rendered geographically and ideologically complete. Whereas an Islamic system of government will complete the ideology of Pakistan, Kashmir’s freedom from Indian occupation will complete the country geographically.”

Using the emotionally charged occasion to denounce the government’s decision to award the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India, Paracha said “we must first liberate Kashmir and get back our rivers from India before seeking normalisation of relations between the two countries.”

Praising Kashmiri Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Gillani, Paracha said leaders like Gillani faced innumerable hardships for the cause of freedom but never gave in. JI’s candidate for National Assembly in the upcoming elections, Mian Muhammad Aslam said “the Kashmir struggle is not merely a struggle for a piece of land.

It concerns the future of over 10 million people of Kashmir and their right to self-determination,” adding that unless India resolved the seething dispute according to United Nations resolutions, relations would never improve.



Rallies in Balochistan 

Kashmir Solidarity Day was observed with fervour in different parts of Balochistan, including the provincial capital Quetta.

Rallies organised by the provincial chapters of the Jamatud Dawa, Al Sunnat-wal-Jamaat and Jamat-e-Islami converged at the Quetta Press Club after marching through different routes of the city.

Speakers at the public gathering denounced India for its illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir for the past 65 years. They recounted the excesses inflicted upon the peace loving people of Kashmir and demanded the holding of a referendum for the solution of the dispute, as pledged in UN resolutions, to ascertain the will of the people of Kashmir.

Blaming previous rulers for neglecting the Kashmir issue, participants said that granting MFN status to India brought shock and dismay to the people. Speakers prayed for the freedom of Kashmir and said the day was not far when the wishes of the people of Kashmir would be answered.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 6th, 2013.]]>
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			<title>International support: Kashmir Day observed in Seoul</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/503198/international-support-kashmir-day-observed-in-seoul</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/503198/international-support-kashmir-day-observed-in-seoul#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 06 Feb 13 05:01:02 +0500</pubDate>
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			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=503198</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The ambassador of Pakistan to South Korea read out the messages of the president and the prime minister.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Kashmir Solidarity day was also observed in Seoul, South Korea on Tuesday, where supporters expressed solidarity with the people of Kashmir in their struggle against the occupation of India, according to a press release from Seoul.


A function was held at a local hotel by The Friends of Kashmir Association with support from the Pakistani community residing in Korea.

Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General for UN Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan, Major General (Rtd) Ahn Choung Jun also spoke on the occasion. He emphasised that the people of Kashmir should be given the right of self-determination in accordance with UN resolutions.

The ambassador of Pakistan to South Korea, Shaukat Ali Mukadam, read out the messages of the president and the prime minister of Pakistan which said, “Pakistan shall continue to stand by our Kashmiri brethren and shall always provide them with moral, diplomatic and political support”.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 6th, 2013.]]>
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			<title>Hafiz Saeed urges India to ‘leave Kashmir’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/502947/hafiz-saeed-urges-india-to-leave-kashmir</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/502947/hafiz-saeed-urges-india-to-leave-kashmir#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 05 Feb 13 12:10:42 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[ppi]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=502947</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[JuD chief expresses support for all Kashmiri leaders, says Kashmir will see independence soon.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed urged India to “leave Kashmir” while addressing a rally in Lahore to mark Kashmir Solidarity Day on Tuesday.

“No one could defeat the Muslims... If America had to run away, then India, you will have to leave Kashmir as well,” said Saeed amid chants of ‘al-jihad, al-jihad’.

Saeed expressed support for all Kashmiri leaders and prayed to God to protect and unite them.

“India’s army of 800,000 will lose... Kashmiris will get independence,” he said.

Pakistan observed Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 5 to denounce Indian rule in the disputed Himalayan region claimed in whole by both countries.

The day has been observed in Pakistan since 1990 to pay homage to Kashmiris and highlight the plight for their birth right to self-determination, promised to them by the international community under the resolutions of United Nations Security Council. The day was observed as a public holiday.

A minute of silence was observed throughout the country at 10am, while rallies, processions, seminars and photo exhibitions were also arranged by Pakistani missions abroad.

Rallies, demonstrations, human chains by men, women and children were seen at various points across the country as well as in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and at the connecting points between Pakistan and AJK to express solidarity with the struggling Kashmiris despite heavy rain in the area.

People formed Human Chains at Kohalla‚ Azad Patan and Mangla bridges connecting Azad Kashmir with Pakistan in rainy weather. The main function of the day was joint session of AJK Legislative Assembly and AJK Council at Muzaffarabad.

Free ration-packages on behalf of the people and the government were distributed among Kashmiri refugees at their camps situated in Muzaffarabad‚ Bagh‚ Kotli and Rawalakot districts.

______________________________________________

[poll id="1023"]]]>
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			<title>On Kashmir day, PM pledges full support</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/502869/on-kashmir-day-pm-pledges-full-support</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/502869/on-kashmir-day-pm-pledges-full-support#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 05 Feb 13 04:54:06 +0500</pubDate>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=502869</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Says govt will extend its unwavering support to Kashmiris.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said on Monday that Pakistan will stand by the people of Kashmir till a peaceful resolution to the dispute is achieved.


In a message issued on the occasion of Kashmir day, Prime Minister Ashraf said: “On behalf of the government, I reaffirm Pakistan’s commitment to a just and peaceful resolution to the Kashmir dispute,”

He said the government will continue to extend its unwavering political, moral and diplomatic support to the cause, which has been on the agenda of the United Nations for the past six decades, however, remains unresolved.

The premier said that the right to self determination of the people of the region will be achieved through a free and impartial plebiscite in line with the UN Charter and the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.

Ashraf said Pakistan supports dialogue with the Indian government and has introduced confidence building measures (CMB) is this regard.

“We have initiated CBMs in good faith and hope that they will mitigate the sufferings of the Kashmiri populace,” Ashraf said.

Highlighting the importance of the occasion he said that, “February 5 is observed as Kashmir Solidarity Day by the people of Pakistan every year to reaffirm our resolve to stand by our Kashmiri brethren.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5th, 2013.

______________________________________________

[poll id="1023"]]]>
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			<title>Unscheduled holidays</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/502618/unscheduled-holidays-2</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/502618/unscheduled-holidays-2#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 04 Feb 13 19:56:08 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[letter.]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=502618</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Current academic session commenced from August 1, 2012, &amp;amp; so far, regular instructions have taken place for 107 days.]]>
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				<![CDATA[I am writing this with reference to your editorial of January 28 titled ‘Unscheduled holidays’. It has highlighted an apt and much-needed issue that needs to be addressed on an urgent basis. The current so-called democratic dispensation presided over by incompetent rulers has given very low priority to education. We have witnessed a gradual and systematic neglect in our education system for almost four decades for various reasons.
Readers may be surprised to know that almost all government colleges observe a daily working routine of a mere three hours, from nine am to noon. In fact, it’s not as if the teachers are teaching this whole time; they are only required to be present. In absence of any accountability and monitoring by superior authorities, the teaching-learning process suffers.
During my teaching assignment in Tunisia in 1974, I experienced an altogether different teaching routine. Schools, colleges and universities all over the country functioned from eight am to six pm with a two hour-break in between. There was no concept of any kind of leave except a weekly holiday on Sunday. And the result was a highly educated, civilised and cultured nation. Until and unless we enforce strict discipline in our education system, we may never be able to develop into a civilised nation.
The current academic session commenced from August 1 of last year, and so far, regular instructions have taken place for only 107 days. The current state of affairs in our society can only be corrected with proper academic discipline; otherwise we will be a society of ‘C’ and ‘D’ graders. As a test case, the government could have begun by withdrawing the Kashmir Day holiday this year — the heavens would not have fallen if students had got an extra academic day.
Cdr (retd) Najeeb Anjum PN
Principal
Sir Adamjee Institute
Published in The Express Tribune, February 5th, 2013.]]>
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			<title>Day off for Kashmir</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/502612/day-off-for-kashmir</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/502612/day-off-for-kashmir#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 04 Feb 13 19:54:57 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[editorial]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=502612</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[It is far from clear how Kashmir Day, used for leisure, helps the people of Kashmir at all.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Yet another working day has been lost, as we mark Kashmir Day — as we have every February 5 for years. But the fact is that the occasion has lost all meaning. It simply becomes another holiday, tacked on to a calendar which has far too many on it already. Schoolchildren will rejoice, so will many others much older than them, but in reality, all the day means is a loss of working hours and time. Business suffers, as do all kinds of other commercial activities, further wounding an already staggering economy. And it is far from clear how this day, used for leisure, for family picnics or other similar activity, helps the people of Kashmir at all.



Yes, some rallies and marches will be staged. During them, the usual calls will be made for justice and peace in that troubled valley. But people, as a whole, have become detached from these activities. Concern for Kashmir is certainly not very high; nor is there any evidence at all that it peaks on February 5. The reality also is that people have too many immediate concerns of their own to be specially worried about Kashmir and its people. For them, there are too many anxieties based around their own troubles in times of soaring inflation and great political uncertainty. Indeed, surveys in the past have shown only limited interest in the entrenched issue of Kashmir, with people focusing attention on their own plight.

This should make us think about why we mark Kashmir Day at all. Yes, Kashmiri victims of abuse deserve sympathy; the Kashmiris also need to be able to determine their own destiny, as is their right. But will closing shops, offices and educational institutions at home for an entire day really help them in any way? Or will it just harm us? This is something that needs to be thought about with wisdom, given that simply observing yet another holiday does not seem to serve the interests of anyone at all, whether in Kashmir or at home.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5th, 2013.]]>
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			<title>Pakistan aspires for diplomatic solution of Kashmir dispute: Gilani</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/332370/pakistan-aspires-for-diplomatic-solution-of-kashmir-dispute-gilani</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/332370/pakistan-aspires-for-diplomatic-solution-of-kashmir-dispute-gilani#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 12 06:52:11 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[ah.nizami]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=332370</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Reiterating support for the cause, the prime minister says more wars are not feasible in the 21st century.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has said that Pakistan, as a responsible country and nuclear power, aspires to use responsible, diplomatic measures to resolve the long-standing Kashmir dispute. 

“Four wars have already been fought over the issue and the region remains a flashpoint. However, in the 21st century, we cannot afford any more wars,” Gilani told a Kashmir Convention at the Prime Minister Secretariat held to mark Kashmir Day. “We want to resolve the matter through dialogue, diplomacy, prudent policy and national consensus.”

Gilani said that Kashmir remains a cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy and the Pakistan Peoples Party-led government has focused on Kashmir policy. “We are committed to continue moral, political and diplomatic support to the Kashmiris. The entire nation, including all political parties, is united over the cause.”

The prime minister, contrasting the success of policies made through consensus and those formulated by dictators, said that the country’s policies should be made by chosen representatives of the people, not by individuals.

Comparing Pakistan’s exemplary relationship with China to bilateral ties with Afghanistan, Gilani said that question marks were hanging over the Afghan policy because it was made by a dictator who wore four hats but could not sustain pressure by the US. On the other hand, he said, following the Nato attack on the Salala checkpost, the PPP government reacted with defiance against the US.

Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo, minister for Kashmir affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, said in his welcome address that it was to the credit of the democratically-elected PPP government that it forced India to resume the dialogue process.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chairman of the parliamentary committee on Kashmir, said that the Kashmiri leadership was not satisfied with the explanation given to them by the commerce ministry on the issue of granting Most-Favoured Nation status to India. “The platform of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation should be used to highlight the Kashmir cause,” he suggested.

Meanwhile, a message from the prime minister was read out in a joint session of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly and the AJK Council held in Muzaffarabad on Sunday to mark the Kashmir Solidarity Day.

“A peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute that accords fully with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people is essential for peace and prosperity in the region,” the prime minister said in the statement read out by the assembly’s speaker.]]>
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			<title>Double play: Celebrating the colours of Kashmir and Iran</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/331993/double-play-celebrating-the-colours-of-kashmir-and-iran</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/331993/double-play-celebrating-the-colours-of-kashmir-and-iran#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 05 Feb 12 05:57:17 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[sehrish.ali]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Life &amp; Style]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=331993</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Solidarity with Kashmiris expressed; Iran celebrates 33rd anniversary of revolution.]]>
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				<![CDATA[The rain may have deterred some to go out and about, but many supporting the Kashmir cause showed up to fill the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) auditorium.


First up was a short play by the National Performing Arts Group (NPAG) with the title “Theray Huay Lamhay” (frozen moments) showcasing the plight of Kashmiris. The thought-provoking play was followed by Wasif Iftikhar on santoor, presenting the well-known tune “Meri watan teri janat mein aiyen ge hum” (My country, my heaven, we will join you soon).

Ishtiaq added lyrics to the event as he performed the naghma “janay kab houn gay kum is dunya keh ghum” (Who knows when the world’s tragedies will end).

Ghulam Muhammad played Kashmiri tunes on the sarangi; many recognised the traditional Kashmiri tunes and cheered the music. While one thought that the instrumental performances might have dragged on for too long, along came an enthusiastic dance performance by the NPAG, as they swirled to the steps of a traditional Kashmiri dance.

The main star of the show was a 14-year-old-girl from Muzaffarabad, Bano Rehman, who performed gojri folk songs.

Last but not least was Iranian artist Pyam Azizi who performed Iqbal’s kalam in Farsi. To end the event on a lighter note, a bhangra dance was performed by NPAG.

33rd anniversary of the 1979 revolution

The Iranian embassy also had something to celebrate at PNCA, marking the 33rd anniversary of the 1979 revolution with an ongoing exhibition to introduce people to Iranian culture.

Amid a gallery decked with Persian carpets and walls adorned with pictures of famous Iranian people and places, one felt like having stepped into an Iranian home as the hosts offered cups of green tea at the “kawa khana”, a corner set with small glass tea sets and large golden pots to pour tea from.

The gallery is set with everything and anything that symbolises Iranian culture -- traditional folk art consisting of handmade mina kari plates from Isfahan, khatam kari, which consists of delicate patterns that are set by hand onto wooden boxes, and stone and brass pottery with carved figures giving the brass and stone a medieval appearance.

Among the Persian carpets, one notices the Kalamkari which is an exquisite ancient craft of painted and printed fabrics. Most of the art work was indigenous to Isfahan, as the event organiser Kishawaraz explained to The Express Tribune, “In Iran we have a saying that there is not a place on earth that is more beautiful than Isfahan, and that is why the art that initiates from there is beautiful and delicate.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Mission ‘lost cause’: The tale of a Kashmiri ‘jihadi’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/332156/mission-%e2%80%98lost-cause%e2%80%99-the-tale-of-a-kashmiri-%e2%80%98jihadi%e2%80%99</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/332156/mission-%e2%80%98lost-cause%e2%80%99-the-tale-of-a-kashmiri-%e2%80%98jihadi%e2%80%99#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 05 Feb 12 04:59:47 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[taha.siddiqui]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Jammu &amp; Kashmir]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=332156</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Omer migrated to AJK in the 90s with hopes of returning as a ‘freedom fighter’.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[In the mid 1990s, the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border between Pakistan and India, was relatively porous, with many migrating from Srinagar (Indian-Kashmir) into Azad Kashmir. Some arrived in pursuit of a better life and others with hopes to win back Kashmir.


“I was around 18 years old when I decided I had enough. I had hoped that Pakistan, being a Muslim country, will help us win back Kashmir, but I was wrong,” said Omer, refusing to give his last name.

Omer’s exploits nearly two decades ago landed him with fighters who were training anyone and everyone for Jihad in Kashmir during the 90s.

“I was contacted by them, and they took me to Afghanistan, where I was trained in guerilla warfare for two years,” said Omer.

However, his stint as a Jihadi wouldn’t last too long. Eager to put his newly acquired skills to use, Omer crossed over with a group of fellow ‘freedom fighters’ into Indian-Kashmir.

“We were moving cautiously through the woods and hills when I stepped on a landmine which exploded,” he recalled.

The ill-fated night would constitute his first and last day on the battlefield. Omer injured his foot in the blast and was told by fellow ‘freedom fighters’ to return to the other side of LoC on his own since it was a general protocol for any injured combatants.

“I bandaged my foot, whatever was remaining of it, with a piece of cloth, as it was bleeding profusely. But God gave me the strength and I started to crawl back to this side again,” Omer said. A day later, miraculously, Omer reached the other side of LoC and was taken to a local hospital to be treated for his injuries. Even though doctors saved his life, they weren’t able to salvage his leg. He now wears a prosthetic leg.

Nearly two decades later, Omer is happily married with two children and is living on the outskirts of Muzaffarabad – AJK’s capital. However, even though Omer claims to have severed his ties with militant groups, he still believes that an armed resistance is the only way to win back his homeland.

“That is the only way we can have the world’s attention diverted towards us,” Omer said, adding that he and many other have been let down by the AJK and Pakistani governments as they have softened their stance on the Kashmir dispute over the years.

Speaking about the frequent talks between India and Pakistan, Omer said that even though the two countries have improved ties, they have not done so much for Kashmir’s inhabitants.

“There are these confidence building measures in which trade, travel and entertainment industry exchanges are taking place, but no one is resolving the Kashmir conflict even though everyday there are human rights violation by Indian authorities there.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>The plight of Kashmir</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/332163/the-plight-of-kashmir</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/332163/the-plight-of-kashmir#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 05 Feb 12 04:56:08 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[dr.firdous.ashiq.awan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Jammu &amp; Kashmir]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=332163</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[It is tragic to see that residents of this unrivalled paradise are shackled in chains of slavery for over a century.]]>
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				<![CDATA[The valley of Kashmir is a beautiful geographical entity on earth and its ravishing landscape has impressed visitors for centuries. When Mughal Emperor Jehangir came to Kashmir, he was so spell-bound by its calmness that he exclaimed “If there is a paradise on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here.”


It is tragic to see that residents of this unrivalled paradise are shackled in chains of slavery for over a century. The yearning and movement for the independence of Kashmir has continued unabated all along.

When the movement for Pakistan was launched, the people of Kashmir actively participated in it. A son of Kashmir from Sialkot, Allama Muhammad Iqbal, first dreamt about a separate homeland for the Muslims of the subcontinent.

His dream and contemplation about Pakistan caught every Muslims’ attention throughout the subcontinent and shone like a bright morning star for them.

The movement for independence spread exponentially and the dream became a reality under the indomitable leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Unfortunately, the fate of Kashmir became a casualty of machinations.

At the time of independence, it was agreed that the destiny of Kashmir will be decided through a plebiscite, but that promise remains elusive even after the lapse of 65 years.

A year after independence, the youth of Kashmir liberated a part of it, which is now known as Azad Kashmir, through their valiant struggle. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, in his address to the UN Security Council, had voiced the sentiments of Kashmiris and made the world believe that Kashmir and Pakistan were inseparable.

Bhutto had convened the Islamic summit in Lahore in February 1974 and highlighted the issues of Kashmir and Palestine. He won strong and unqualified support for the cause.

When the Kashmir independence movement was launched during the first government of Benazir Bhutto, as a mark of solidarity with the people of Kashmir, the government commemorated February 5th as the ‘Day of Solidarity with Kashmiris’. Since then, Solidarity Day is observed every year with full devotion and commitment.

The PPP has always emphasised the need for mutual links between Kashmiris on both sides of the border and even proposed opening the Line of Control, so that people can meet their relatives.

(The writer is the federal minister for information and broadcasting)

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Kashmir Committee Meeting: JUI-F chief urges fresh talks on disputed territory</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/332166/kashmir-committee-meeting-jui-f-chief-urges-fresh-talks-on-disputed-territory</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/332166/kashmir-committee-meeting-jui-f-chief-urges-fresh-talks-on-disputed-territory#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 05 Feb 12 04:49:51 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Jammu &amp; Kashmir]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=332166</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Says the valley can act as a bridge for peace.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Saturday urged India to withdraw its ‘unfinished agenda’ on the issue of Kashmir and resume fresh talks to resolve the decades-long dispute.


Fazl, who is the chairman of the special parliamentary committee on Kashmir, also asked the Pakistani leadership to review its policy to pave the way for fresh dialogue on Indian administered Kashmir.

“New Delhi should fulfill its promise for effectively exercising the rights of Kahmiris, as envisaged in the relevant United Nations’ resolutions,” Fazl said, during a meeting of the committee. “Concepts of talks, mediation and military strategies should be defined on the dialogue table,” he said, adding that ,“the Kashmir valley can act as a bridge for peace between the neighbours.”

Fazl said that Kashmir’s cause  suffered a major blow from America’s so-called war on terror in 2001. “The PPP should convey its message to the Indian Congress regarding the reservations of Kashmiri people. The valley has always safeguarded Pakistan’s interests and its people never wanted the country to sacrifice its interests for their sake.”

All religious political parties want good relations with India and issues need to be addressed via meaningful dialogues, Fazl added. “We support the cause of Kashmiris, not terrorism in the region.”

Fazl said these parties have renewed their unswerving support for the just struggle of Kashmiris and for the realisation of their fundamental rights. The JUI-F chief criticised the Indian army for violating human rights in the war-torn valley. “The fundamental human rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been denied since 1947.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5th, 2012. ]]>
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			<title>Jeddah Event: OIC renews support for Kashmir cause</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/332175/jeddah-event-oic-renews-support-for-kashmir-cause</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/332175/jeddah-event-oic-renews-support-for-kashmir-cause#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 04 Feb 12 20:40:46 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=332175</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA['I would like to reiterate the principled position of the OIC'.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[The Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), while reiterating its solidarity with the Kashmiri people, has called for a peaceful settlement of the festering dispute. “I would like to reiterate the principled position of the OIC that it is high time a negotiated solution was worked out to put an end to this conflict,” said Khalid Bader from the OIC while reading out a statement at a function held in connection with the Kashmir Solidarity Day at Pakistan International School in Jeddah.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5th, 2012. ]]>
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			<title>Kashmir Solidarity Day: AJK govt chalks out programmes</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/332179/kashmir-solidarity-day-ajk-govt-chalks-out-programmes</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/332179/kashmir-solidarity-day-ajk-govt-chalks-out-programmes#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 04 Feb 12 20:39:55 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=332179</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan has stood by their Kashmiri brethrens in every thick and thin.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government and local social, political and human rights organisations have finalised elaborate plans to observe Kashmir Solidarity Day, which will be marked in AJK and Pakistan on Sunday (today). PPP leader Muhammad Yasin Khan advocate told The Express Tribune that since 1947 every Pakistani government has unequivocally supported the cause of Kashmir. Pakistan has stood by their Kashmiri brethrens in every thick and thin, he said and recalled the catastrophic earthquake of October 2005, when the entire Pakistani nation came out to help the people devastated by the calamity.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5th, 2012. ]]>
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			<title>Kashmir Issue: ‘India should show flexibility’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/332050/kashmir-issue-%e2%80%98india-should-show-flexibility%e2%80%99</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/332050/kashmir-issue-%e2%80%98india-should-show-flexibility%e2%80%99#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 04 Feb 12 19:02:24 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=332050</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The Bishop condemned the continuous violation of human rights of the 13 million Kashmiris.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[“It is India’s turn to ‘show flexibility’ and resolve the Kashmir issue,” said Reverend Dr Alexander John Malik, the Bishop of Lahore in a statement issued on Saturday, as the Christian community of Pakistan endorsed the Kashmiri cause. The Bishop condemned the continuous violation of human rights of the 13 million Kashmiris in Indian Kashmir by the military, adding that the issue could only be resolved in accordance with the United Nations resolutions. Malik further said that the issue was not just a ‘territorial question’ but the fate of the Kashmiri people depended on it. He also emphasised Pakistan’s role with regards to Kashmir. Talking to The Express Tribune, the Bishop’s Chaplain and the Reverend of Lahore Cathedral, Shahid P Mehraj, said that a special prayer would be offered on Kashmir Day for peace in Kashmir, Palestine and in other parts of the world where people are fighting for their freedom. The Reverend added that the struggle for independence in Indian Kashmir was legitimate.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5th, 2012. ]]>
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			<title>Does India have a case in Kashmir?</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/331916/does-india-have-a-case-in-kashmir</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/331916/does-india-have-a-case-in-kashmir#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 04 Feb 12 17:18:41 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[aakar.patel]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=331916</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[India’s case on the plebiscite is defensive, and rests on technicalities.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[If so, what is it?

The Pakistan case is straight: Let Kashmiris decide whether they want to live as Indians or as Pakistanis. This is supported by the United Nations Security Council resolutions beginning with No 38 in 1948 and going on to No 123 in 1957. The resolutions seek a direct vote, what is called a plebiscite, among people in Jammu &amp; Kashmir on their future. The UN said it would administer this vote, and called for India and Pakistan to demilitarise the state.

The Kashmiri case is slightly less straight. Some of them want accession to Pakistan (the Jamaat-e-Islami’s Ali Shah Geelani of Sopore and Muslim Conference’s Mirwaiz Umar Farooq of Srinagar are its champions) through a plebiscite. Some of them (for instance Yasin Malik’s JKLF) want a vote that adds independence as a third option. Some of them (all Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, most Shias and some Sunnis, including the ruling National Conference and the opposition PDP) are fine with India.

Though Nehru agreed to the plebiscite plan at first, he later backed off. India’s case on the plebiscite is defensive, and rests on technicalities. One is the Security Council resolutions’ sequencing of troop withdrawal. Pakistani was asked to withdraw its troops first. Secondly, India points to the state Jammu &amp; Kashmir Assembly’s acceptance of the accession to India in 1954. This is meant to be a substitute for the plebiscite (though the UN specifically said it could not be). A third, unofficial, reason is that much time has passed and the resolutions have somehow become irrelevant. Kofi Annan said the same thing when as secretary-general he was pressed on this matter. After the resolutions of 1957, the UN lost interest. Then the wars of 1965 and 1971 eclipsed the Kashmir issue. The world was more concerned that the subcontinent be at peace than it was about resolving the original problem.

Most Pakistanis may not be aware that the Kashmir issue went to the United Nations because Nehru took it there. Till that time, there were two parties to the dispute, India and Pakistan. The Security Council’s resolution added a third party, the people of Jammu &amp; Kashmir. Nehru went there because he believed India was the aggrieved party. He believed that Hari Singh’s accession was legal and that the only matter for discussion was how to get Pakistan to vacate the raiders Jinnah had sent in. The other thing some Pakistanis might not know is that Maududi thought the jihad in Kashmir was un-Islamic. This was because it was launched with freelancers and not by the state officially, as Maududi thought was prescribed in Islam. In a letter to Maulana Shabbir Ahmed Usmani, Maududi said that the April 1948 ceasefire signed by Pakistan was binding on all citizens, regardless of the merits. In prescribing the plebiscite, the UN took a broader, more humanitarian view of the problem than merely as some land dispute, and India was in trouble. After that, Nehru shifted focus from trying to get the bits Pakistan had won militarily, to trying to secure the acquiescence of the local population.

In time, even this did not work out. The state’s prime minister, Sheikh Abdullah sensed the unease of some if not most Muslims in staying with India. His politics began to reflect this, and an alarmed Nehru dismissed Abdullah and jailed him. This began a sequence of Indian meddling in the state’s politics. The Kashmiri complaint was that Delhi did mischief and kept upending its leadership. This was true.

This resulted in the Kashmiri revolt that began under Benazir Bhutto’s first term. A parallel development was the forming of the jihadi groups in Pakistan. One group, the Hizbul Mujahideen, was supported by the Jamaat-e-Islami under its third Amir, Qazi Hussain Ahmad, who broke with Maududi’s wisdom. The Deobandi Harkatul Ansar (later renamed Harkatul Mujahideen after an American ban, and still later renamed Jaish-e-Muhammad) and the Salafi Lashkar-e-Taiba rose to lead the jihad. The violence continued till India sent troops to the border after Jaish attacked its parliament. Under pressure, then president Pervez Musharraf backed down, and banned the groups in 2002. The jihad in Kashmir ended almost immediately and today the violence is almost totally gone. The theatre of these groups has now become Pakistan.

Next week we shall again pick up the thread of what, if any, case India has on Kashmir.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Christians of Pakistan endorse the Kashmir cause</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/331870/christians-of-pakistan-endorses-the-kashmir-cause-leaders</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/331870/christians-of-pakistan-endorses-the-kashmir-cause-leaders#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 04 Feb 12 15:41:39 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Bishop of Lahore says that the issue can only be resolved in accordance with the UN resolutions.]]>
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				<![CDATA["It is India’s turn to ‘show flexibility’ and resolve the Kashmir issue," said Reverend (R) Dr Alexander John Malik, the Bishop of Lahore in a statement issued on Saturday, as the Christian community of Pakistan endorsed the Kashmiri cause.

The Bishop condemned the continuous violation of human rights of the 13 million Kashmiris in Indian Kashmir by the military, adding that the issue could only be resolved in accordance with the United Nations resolutions.

Malik further said that the issue was not just a ‘territorial question’ but the fate of the Kashmiri people depended on it. He also acknowledged Pakistan's role for maintaining peace in the region with regards to Kashmir.

Talking to The Express Tribune, the Bishop's Chaplain and the Reverend of Lahore Cathedral, Shahid P Mehraj, said that a special prayer would be offered on Kashmir Day for peace in Kashmir, Palestine and in other parts of the world where people are fighting for their freedom.

The Reverend added that the struggle for independence in Indian Kashmir was legitimate and the Christian community of Pakistan supported it.]]>
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			<title>JUI-F chief urges Pakistan, India to resolve Kashmir issue via dialogue</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/331877/jui-f-chief-urges-pakistan-india-to-resolve-kashmir-issue-via-dialogue</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/331877/jui-f-chief-urges-pakistan-india-to-resolve-kashmir-issue-via-dialogue#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 04 Feb 12 15:21:19 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[zahid.gishkori]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=331877</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Fazlur Rehman says that all religious parties wanted good relations with India.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has urged India to withdraw its ‘unfinished agenda’ in Kashmir, and to renew talks with Pakistan afresh to resolve the decades long dispute.

Rehman, who is the chairman of the special parliamentary committee on Kashmir, on Saturday asked the Pakistani leadership to review its Kashmir policy and to pave the way for fresh dialogue on Indian Kashmir.

“New Delhi should fulfil its promise for the effective exercise of Kashmiri’s rights, as envisaged in the relevant United Nations’ resolutions,” observed Fazl during a meeting of the Kashmir committee. “Concepts of talks, mediation and military strategies should be defined on the dialogue table,” he outlined, adding that the “Kashmir valley can play a role of bridge for endorsing peace between two South Asian nuclear neighbours.”

He said that the Pakistan Peoples Party could not boost Kashmir’s cause since efforts had suffered a major blow following Americas’ war on terrorism in 2001. “It [PPP] should convey its message on Kashmir day to the Indian Congress regarding the reservations of the Kashmiri people,” he said.

The people from the valley, Rehman asserted, had always safeguarded Pakistan’s interests and that they never wanted the country to sacrifice its interests for their sake.

The JUI-F chief, who was once part of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, a platform that united major religious parties of Pakistan under one banner, said that all religious political parties wanted good relations with India, and that all issues be addressed through meaningful dialogues. These parties, Rehman explained, had renewed their unwavering support for the just struggle of the Kashmiri’s for their fundamental and inalienable rights.

“We support the Kashmiri’s cause but don’t support terrorism in the region,” he noted.

The JUI-F chief also criticised Indian Army on violating human rights in war-torn Kashmir valley, adding that the fundamental human rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir are being denied since 1947.]]>
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			<title>Display of harmony: Little angels express solidarity with Kashmiris</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/331540/display-of-harmony-little-angels-express-solidarity-with-kashmiris</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/331540/display-of-harmony-little-angels-express-solidarity-with-kashmiris#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 12 23:13:58 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[sehrish.ali]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=331540</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The event featured songs, tableaus from students in connection to Kashmir Day.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Garbed and styled as Kashmiris with colourful traditional clothes and jewellery, children from different schools of twin cities presented a lively performance in connection to Kashmir Day on Friday.

The event was held by the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) in collaboration with the Ministry of National Heritage and Integration, Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir Council to express solidarity with Kashmiri people.

Adorned with traditional jewellery with braided hair and matching dupattas, each school lined up to do their best to represent the disputed territory.

The children, mostly from schools in Rawalpindi, filled the auditorium with claps and cheers as each school made its way onto the stage to present songs and tableaus.

Some students who braved the stage included Sufyan Mir from Islamabad Model College for Boys (IMCB), who performed a traditional song on the region’s beautiful landscape.

In addition to that, children also presented colourful tableaus complete with props painted to look like trees and hills in the background.

The highlight of the event was a tableau by Divisional Public School Shamsabad on Hadiqa Kiani’s famous song Man di Mauj that successfully captured the scenes of daily village life of Kashmir.

Other schools such as Bright Land School and Jinnah Public School also performed tableaus on songs such as Zulm rahay aur aman bhi ho by Noor Jahan.

At the end of the event, children were given prizes and a special note of thanks was given to teachers for dressing the students in a beautiful manner.

Even though most of the children seemed to be too young to understand the significance of Kashmir issue, some of them expressed pretty mature views on the subject.

“Its been so long since the issue has been going on. It is about time Kashmir issue be resolved,” said a student of IMCB.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 4th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Kashmir Solidarity Day: The colour of suffering and pain</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/330543/kashmir-solidarity-day-the-colour-of-suffering-and-pain</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/330543/kashmir-solidarity-day-the-colour-of-suffering-and-pain#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 02 Feb 12 03:06:49 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[sehrish.ali]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=330543</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[An exhibition displays the agonies of the conflict-hit people of Kashmir.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[The idyllic valley of Kashmir is maimed with a painful past. Around 25 noted artists came together to unveil the scarred faces of the conflict-hit territory at an exhibition organised in connection with the Kashmir Solidarity Day at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts here on Tuesday.


While some artists portrayed all-out scenes of blood and gore in the aftermath of bomb blasts, others took a subtle approach on the subject. Paintings by Abdul Rehman represented people sifting through rubble, looking for bodies. Distorted faces, soaked in blood represented the work of Abbas Shah.

However, the work of other artists like Mansoor Rahi, Shehbaz Malik and Raja Changez Sultan depicted abstract silhouettes doused in dark hues of blue and black.

Mussarat Nahid’s work was perhaps the most descriptive and simultaneously disturbing with red paint and real pictures of people suffering and tortured, pasted onto the canvas. Paintings by Humera Ijaz, Ghulam Abbas, Sardar Mohammad, Aftab Zafar, Masood Hameed and Quddus Mirza were also exhibited. Almost all paintings used the medium of oil on canvas with red paint, symbolising blood.

Morose in its essence, the exhibition was unable to attract a significant turnout of visitors despite showcasing some of the country’s celebrated artists.

The empty gallery reflected mismanagement on the part of organisers and a general lack of interest by the public.

The exhibition, organised by the Ministry of National Heritage and Integration in collaboration with the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu Kashmir Council, and continues till February 10.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2nd, 2012.]]>
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