As Pakistanis, even if the Kashmiris do not want to join us, we should still support their right to self-determination
KARACHI: This is with reference to Shehzad Shah's article “Pakistan’s self-defeating Kashmir policy” (November 22). The writer has said that Pakistan is still facilitating infiltration and encouraging entry of militants into the Kashmir valley. The truth of the matter is that the struggle of the people of Kashmir for freedom from Indian subjugation, repression and occupation is spontaneous and indigenous.
The writer has also written that Kashmiris want independence and don't want to join Pakistan and hence the latter should forget about the whole issue. One has to only understand that Kashmir is an unfinished agenda of the partition of India. As Pakistanis, even if the Kashmiris do not want to join us, we should still support their right to self-determination because an independent Kashmir is far better than one which is part of India.
Safir A Siddiqui
Published in The Express Tribune, November 24th, 2010.
