Pakistan an uncompromising friend & sympathiser of Kashmir

Altaf Hussain Wani
Pakistan’s consistent and continued support of the Kashmiris’ legitimate cause has always been a source of great strength and encouragement to the people of the Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Be it the Kashmiris’ decades’ long struggle against Dogra Maharaja or their ongoing battle against the Indian colonialism of Kashmir, the Muslims of the subcontinent have always stood in support and solidarity of their Kashmiri brethren. Prominent leaders of the Pakistan movement, including Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal, the poet of the east and the founding father Muhammad Ali Jinnah, have not only championed the cause of Kashmir but also deemed Kashmir as an integral part of Pakistan and raised the issue at every forum. They remained at the forefront of resolving the problems of Muslims in Kashmir and supporting their struggle against slavery and always defended their rights. When the Viceroy of India visited Kashmir in 1924, a memorandum was presented to him by some Kashmiri leaders that highlighted the plight of the Muslims. The memorandum was prepared on the advice of Allama Muhammad Iqbal. Similarly, the All India Muslim League meeting held in May 1929 adopted a resolution in support of the Kashmiri Muslims and the resolution was moved by Dr. Allama Iqbal. Establishment of the All-India Kashmir Committee in 1931 to provide political, social, moral and financial support to the Muslims of Kashmir, was yet another important milestone of the brotherhood with far-reaching consequences. Pertinently, the Kashmir Committee celebrated “Kashmir Day” on August 14, 1931 as an expression of sympathy for the demoralized Kashmiris who were reeling under the ruthless brutality of the Maharaja. Kashmir remains a corner-stone of Pakistan’s foreign policy The Pakistani state, since the very beginning, remained an uncompromising sympathizer and supporter of the Kashmiris at every stage of their rights struggle. In 1947, when India invaded Jammu and Kashmir and landed its troops in Srinagar, the Pakistani government reacted strongly and swiftly to India’s naked aggression, which ultimately led to the first war between India and Pakistan. Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s interview with the BBC on 13the December, 1947 perfectly explains his stance on Kashmir. Rejecting the Indian government’s contention on the issue, Mr. Jinnah, while demanding the withdrawal of the Indian occupation forces from Kashmir, made it abundantly clear that Pakistan cannot be expected to either accept the illegal occupation of Kashmir by India or be a party to its perpetuation. He said that the question of a plebiscite in Kashmir cannot be discussed under the prevailing circumstances unless the puppet regime headed by the henchmen of New Delhi is replaced by a truly representative government administration of Kashmir. The government of Pakistan lodged a strong protest against Indian aggression. As a result, the then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had to assure his Pakistani counterpart Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan that the Kashmiri people would be given the opportunity to decide freely whether they wanted to join India or Pakistan. Meanwhile, India rushed to the UN Security Council and lodged a complaint against the alleged “aggression” by the Pakistani state. At the UN, the Pakistani mission under the stewardship of foreign minister Zaffarullah Khan played an important role in securing a resolution calling for a referendum in Kashmir. On January 5, 1949, the UN passed a historic resolution which stated that the question of the accession of the State of Jammu and Kashmir to India or Pakistan would be decided through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite. The resolution, besides acknowledging Kashmiris’ right to self-determination, suggested that the future of Kashmir should be decided by the people of Kashmir through a plebiscite. Pakistan as a true sypatheiser of Kashmiri As a true sympathizer of Kashmiri, Pakistan’s commitment and allegiance to Kashmir remained unwavering, despite facing a myriad of challenges, it kept on raising its voice in support of the Kashmiri people at every important forum. Being a strong proponent of Kashmiris’ right to self-determination, Pakistan went all along to sensitize the international community about the early resolution of the Kashmir dispute. Pakistan never shied away from raising its voice against India’s barbarism and brutalities in occupied Kashmir. Pakistan’s principled stance on the issue of Kashmir and its fearless advocacy for the people of Kashmir at the international level is a testament to her unwavering commitment towards the Kashmir cause. Pakistan’s successive governments have time and again raised the issue of Kashmir at the UN, OIC and other relevant international foras. It is this fearless advocacy of Kashmir cause by the Pakistani leadership that kept the issue of Kashmir alive despite India’s malicious attempts to remove Kashmir from the Security Council’s agenda. Pakistan paid a heavy price for its fearless advocacy of Kashmir Pakistan has paid a heavy price for it but never succumbed to international pressures to put Kashmir on the back burner but kept Kashmir alive at international level. After the Indian government’s contentious move to annex the occupied Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, Pakistan embarked on a diplomatic offensive to bring international spotlight on the critical situation in occupied Kashmir. A meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) was sought with the help of a brotherly country (China) to address the simmering situation in occupied Kashmir. As a consequence, an extraordinary-in-camera meeting of the members of the Security Council was held to discuss the prevailing situation in the held territory. It was for the first time that the highest diplomatic forum met after a hiatus of nearly 50 years to discuss Kashmir. Since then, the UNSC has met thrice to discuss the Kashmir problem, which amply demonstrates the fast-growing realization of the dire humanitarian crisis in the IOK at world level. The high-profile meetings are also a reaffirmation of the fact that the world powers were really concerned over the terrible situation in occupied Kashmir. As a part of its extended diplomatic outreach, Pakistan approached some important world countries and held crucial meetings with leaders of influential world governments, including the UN Secretary General, Mr. Antonio Gutters, wherein Pakistan’s commitment to peaceful settlement of the Kashmir dispute, its serious concerns viz-a-viz the Indian government’s attempts to change the disputed nature of the occupied Kashmir was conveyed. In a bid to sensitize the international community, Pakistan’s diplomatic missions abroad launched a massive diplomatic campaign to apprise the global community of the fast deteriorating political and human rights situation in the occupied territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Highlighting the Modi government’s dangerous move to change the region’s demography, Pakistan asked the world leaders to play their role to stop India from going further on an unacceptable path that further usurps the legal and internationally guaranteed rights of the Kashmiri people. Pakistan cautioned that such a move would seriously imperil peace and security in South Asia. OIC’s Emergency Foreign Ministerial Meeting on Kashmir was yet another diplomatic success of Pakistan. Pakistan took a strong exception to worsening the human rights situation in the occupied territory and raised the issue vociferously during the UN Human Rights Council at Geneva. Because of Pakistan’s offensive diplomatic campaign, threadbare discussions were held on Kashmir in the UK, the French and the European Union parliament. Furthermore, a congressional hearing on Kashmir was held in the US, which called for an immediate end to the impending humanitarian crisis in Kashmir. The decision to observe Youm-e-Istehsal (Day of extortion) on 5th August 2020 to express solidarity with besieged masses of occupied Jammu and Kashmir sent a positive message across the ceasefire line. Besides reflecting the State of Pakistan’s unwavering support to Kashmiris’ legitimate struggle for the right to self-determination, it amply demonstrates the fact that the Pakistani nation can go to any extent to defend the rights of their Kashmiri brethren. The resolution of the lingering dispute on the basis of the universally accepted principle of the right to self-determination has been the first and foremost desire and demand of the people of the Kashmiri people. Kashmiris believe in the principle of equality and demand a respectable free life with no discrimination of rights from the rest of the world. They strongly believe that the two nations theory, which was the basis of the partition plan of the subcontinent in 1947, is still a valid and feasible option to resolve the Kashmir Dispute. Kashmiris love for Pakistan worst nightmare for India On the other hand, the Kashmiris’ unconditional and undying love for Pakistan is the worst nightmare for India. They (Kashmiris) consider Pakistan and its defence forces as saviours. The images of martyred Kashmiri youths, wrapped in Pakistani flags, being lowered into graves by their loved ones, give us an idea of how deep-rooted pro-Pakistan sentiment is in the IOK. Kashmiri boys and girls chanting “jeeve jeeve, Pakistan” (long live, Pakistan) or “ Hum Pakistani Hain, Pakistan Hamara Hay” slogans on the streets of Srinagar and elsewhere in the valley is something that reflects an inherent and unbreakable bond between the people of Kashmir and Pakistan.Kashmiris as a nation have rendered matchless sacrifices to achieve their cherished goal of freedom from Indian bondage. The day is not far away when the people of the held territory will break the shackles of slavery and become a permanent part of Pakistan as per the dream envisioned by Allama Iqbal, Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the martyrs of freedom struggle.