Kashmir dispute demands government’s proactive role, suggest experts

Experts say a parliamentary decision on the subject, intensive lobbying on Kashmir needed

PESHAWAR: In the wake of New Delhi stripping Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) of its special status and launching cluster munitions against civilian and military positions along the line of control, experts on Tuesday called upon policymakers to allow the Parliament to make strategic decisions apart from indulging in intensive lobbying over the Kashmir cause.

This was stated by policy experts during a hurriedly-convened seminar at the University of Peshawar’s (UoP) Area Study Centre on Tuesday. The seminar was organized in association with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Higher Education Department to mark the day as a sign of solidarity with Kashmiris and how they were stabbed in the back by the so-called Indian democracy through unilateral legislation.

UoP Political Science Department Chairman Professor Abdur Rauf welcomed the joint sitting of Parliament on the extra-ordinary turn of events.

He argued that during the 1990s, the Pakistani parliament’s decision not to intervene in the Kuwait-Iraq dispute and stationing armies had paid in the longer run.

“We expect that the parliament will reflect the aspirations of the public towards the Kashmir cause,” he said.

Prof Rauf called upon the United Nations (UN) and the other humanitarian organizations to understand that the Himalayan disputed state serves as the confluence for Buddhists, Muslims and Hindus, who are the main stakeholders of the Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh areas.

Professor Fakhrul Islam strongly condemned the unilateral legislation by India and called it a breach of the Independence Plan, accession documents, Indian Independence Act passed by the British Parliament and the Shimla Accord of 1972.

Reiterating that Pakistan currently enjoys the higher legal and moral ground, he argued that Islamabad must first exhaust all available legal instruments in the coming days.

Dr Minhas Majeed maintained that after the recent visit of the US by Prime Minister Imran Khan and the overtures on Kashmir by US President Donald Trump had provoked India to adopt belligerent moves through hasty legislation.

Referring to Kashmir, which has historically been a multifaceted region with a Muslim majority, Professor Dr Shabbir Ahmad Khan said that the Indian government is attempting to reshape the demographics of the disputed Himalayan state through a hegemonic design. However, he warned that this move will fail as shown by history.

PUTA President Professor Dr Fazli Nasir has called upon the academia to forge an alliances to devise out-of-the-box strategies and proactive policies to meet the aspirations of Kashmir’s native residents.

He vowed to spill the last drop of the blood for the cause of Kashmir’s brethren if any situation arises.

Later, a rally was taken out which converged at TCC Chowk.

Rally against India in NMDs

A rally was taken out in Wana, the headquarters of the South Waziristan Tribal District on Tuesday to condemn New Delhi’s decision to abolish the special status of IOK in the Indian constitution.

Participants of the rally held up placards and banners inscribed with slogans condemning the Indian atrocities in the occupied territory.

They demanded that the international community take notice of Indian actions and give the right of self-determination to the Kashmiri people as per UN resolutions.

People belonging to all walks of life including tribal elders, ulema and students participated in the rally in a large number.

A similar rally was also taken out in Kurram.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 7^th, 2019.