'Voice of Kashmiris have now been heard across the world'

AJK president urges UN to come off the fence and help liberate the Kashmiris from decades-long captivity

MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan on Tuesday said that Kashmiri and Pakistani diaspora communities are driving force that act as a catalyst in creating world opinion in favour of the right to self-determination of Kashmiris.

“The role of the diaspora community in the United Kingdom, Europe and North America for reaching out to lawmakers, civil society and media to highlight the plight of Kashmiris and the human rights violations taking place in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K) is commendable,” the president was cited in an article published in a national daily.

Calling out on recent worldwide protests that reflected grounds well of opprobrium against India’s illegal steps it took on August 5 last year to invade, reoccupy, bifurcate and colonise the disputed territory, President Masood stated that the mainstream international media and influential parliamentarians in the US Congress, European Parliament and British Parliament have excoriated New Delhi over its now over six-month-long occupation lockdown, communication blockade and the imposition of decisions against the will of the people of IOK.

“A taboo has been broken that the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) use of unbridled force in IOJ&K resulting in mass killings, blinding, arbitrary detentions and systematic sexual violence cannot be called out,” he underlined.

Saying that subdued voices of Kashmiris have now been heard across the world, he said that China, Turkey, Malaysia and Iran spoke up for Kashmiris since the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has issued a strong statement, and the UN Security Council has held two informal sessions on Kashmir issue.

“Germany, Sweden and Finland have expressed their concern. But, the most powerful nations remain ambivalent in their response as they assess their costs and benefits on their strategic-economic calculus,” the president lamented.

While warning about the unintended consequences of the appeasement by world powers of a regime that openly advocates and practises neo-Fascist doctrine of Hindutva, President Masood said that this might "encourage the re-enactment of Auschwitz camps in Kashmir and in India on a much larger scale".

AJK journalists briefed on govt’s efforts to highlight Kashmir issue

The BJP regime, he said, has openly threatened to start off a war against AJK and Pakistan in which they would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons.

“Will the world allow a new evil force, a regional Pied Piper, to lead the world to genocide and a destructive war,” he questioned, pleading that now is the time for the world to frustrate the BJP’s vicious plans for ethnic cleansing and genocide of Kashmiris.

He added: “The United Nations should come off the fence and help liberate the people of IOK from decades-long captivity and oppression and grant Kashmiris their inalienable right to self-determination promised to them by the world body almost 70 years ago.”

Maintaining that formal diplomacy led by the United Nations Secretary-General can explore several avenues to revive the use of good offices, the AJK president said that the weight of the Security Council can play its part to shape a new environment for engagement and deliberations to hammer out a peace formula for Kashmir.

“It is imperative to involve the true representatives of Jammu and Kashmir in this process. Pakistan and Kashmiris have realised that after India’s aggravating steps, traditional diplomatic and political campaigns won’t work,” he asserted, adding, "We have to rethink a strategy to reach out not only to multilateral forums but enlist the support of the global civil society to put pressure on India to stop its scorched earth policy in IOK.