Kashmir and the slumbering world

Killings go unabated in Kashmir, but the world conscience slumbers on quietly. Indian forces in occupation of the valley enjoy a free hand to commit mass murders of the innocent Kashmiris, but this state-sponsored terrorism goes unnoticed, globally. The use of pellet-guns, enforced disappearances, rape and torture are rampant in the occupied region, but the cries over human rights violations are falling on deaf ears. The long-drawn sufferings of the Kashmiris at the hands of India have sadly failed to evoke sympathies for the world to act.

Indian atrocities in the occupied valley have left tens of thousands of people — mostly civilians — dead since 1989. But this year has been the deadliest since 2009, with more than 500 people killed so far. Only last month, as many as 18 innocent Kashmiris were martyred. In a fresh act of uniformed brutality on Saturday, Indian occupation forces killed 10 Kashmiri youths in Pulwama district. A protest against the killings by residents and the resulting clashes with the Indian troops led to two more youths being killed and several others getting injured.

While the world maintains its criminal quietude on the plight of the Kashmiris, Pakistan is alive to its moral, political and diplomatic responsibility of standing up against the Indian brutality. Prime Minister Imran Khan has, while condemning the killing of innocent Kashmiris in Pulwama, declared that he will raise the issue of human rights violations by New Delhi and push forward the United Nations Security Council to fulfil its commitment to a plebiscite. The prime minister has once again insisted on dialogue as the sole solution to the Kashmir conflict. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi believes the world can no more remain oblivious of the Indian barbarism, calling upon the UN Secretary General, the UN Human Rights Commissioner and the Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to intervene.

As Indian barbarism continues so does the Kashmiris’ resistance. To quote Major General Asif Ghafoor, the military’s spokesperson, “bullets can never suppress unarmed brave freedom fighters”.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 18^th, 2018.

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