Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman, Pakistan Senate’s Defence Committee and the key-note speaker at the event, organized by the Pakistan Embassy in Washington, DC said that despite political differences, all political parties in Pakistan stand together on issues like Kashmir, Palestine, nuclear programme and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Showing complete unity in the Senate of Pakistan, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle called for moving the relevant courts for war crimes against Indian premier for the genocide of Kashmiris and urged the world community to take notice of the same.
Senator Hussain said that it is very painful to state that on one hand Security Council resolutions call for Kashmir’s right to self-determination under United Nations supervised plebiscite, and on the other hand ‘The International People’s Tribunal on Jammu & Kashmir’ have discovered thousands of unnamed and unmarked mass graves in Jammu & Kashmir. He reminded that the demographic changes are taking place in the IIOJ&K and about 4.1 million new domiciles have been issued to non-Kashmiris brought from the mainland India, which is a violation of the Indian constitution and international law.
Senator Hussain warned that the Indian regime is not providing medical facilities to the jailed freedom-loving Kashmiris, like Yasin Malik, Aasia Andrabi and others. India is also violating the basic rights of freedom of speech and any Kashmiri who writes anything on the digital media, is pushed behind bars under the notorious ‘Unlawful Activity Prevention Act’ (UAPA) laws.
The time is ripe to internationalize the Kashmir issue and there should be global expression of solidarity with the oppressed people of Kashmir. Let us send a strong message to the people of Kashmir who are struggling and sacrificing against Indian occupation that Kashmir cause is above any partisan politics and support to the Kashmir cause is unwavering, Senator Hussain underscored.
Welcoming the participants to the Kashmir Black Day, Ambassador (Dr.) Asad Majeed Khan said that it is our collective responsibility to sensitize the world powers, including the United States on the plight of Kashmiri people and urged them to play their role in resolving the Kashmir dispute as envisaged in the UNSC Resolutions and in accordance with wishes of the Kashmiri people.
Ambassador Khan said that the abrogation of Article 370 & 35A were in contravention to India’s commitments to the United Nations. He added that the illegal and immoral actions taken by Indian army in occupied Kashmir poses a serious peace and security threat in the region of South Asia and called the world powers to urge India to end its human rights violations in IIOJK and rescind illegal and unilateral actions taken on August 5, 2019.
Ambassador Khan informed the audience that Prime Minister Imran Khan has reiterated continued moral, political and diplomatic support to the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their struggle for right to self-determination.”
Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Secretary General, World Kashmir Awareness Forum said “The Kashmiris only want to be given the same opportunity to determine their future policy that was accorded to the rest of the people of the undivided India in 1947. The first liberation war was waged that year and had all but succeeded had India not intervened militarily to enslave the people of the former princely state of Jammu & Kashmir. Subsequently, the question of Kashmir’s future was taken to the United Nations, by India itself, be it noted, and it was at the world assembly that India promised the free exercise of the right of self-determination to the people of Kashmir. It has never honored that promise.”
Dr. Fai explained that since 1990, there has been a mass uprising of freedom from Indian occupation in Kashmir. India’s response has been brutal. At least, 100,000 innocent people have been killed by Indian occupation forces, thousand women raped, hundreds of villages burnt or raged to the ground, green fields laid to waste and the most beautiful piece of land on earth turned into a crucible of hate and violence.
Fai asked: How long will the world powers watch in silence as India carries out the genocide of the people of Kashmir? This is a question the Kashmiris are asking too. World powers should persuade India to stop the killing; to end the repression; to revoke Domicile Law which is designed to change the demography of the State of Jammu & Kashmir; and to fulfill its promise so that a new era of good will, peace & prosperity can dawn into Subcontinent. Meanwhile, the United Nations must establish the necessary conditions for the holding of a free and impartial plebiscite in Jammu & Kashmir.
“Time is not on the side of Kashmiris. Everyday more and more atrocities are committed by Indian army, everybody a larger segment of the Kashmir’s population becomes alienated.
Therefore, we ask the Biden Administration to take a principled and practical stand on the Kashmir issue and state its support for the human rights of the people of Jammu & Kashmir, and from a practical solution to easing nuclear tensions in the region by resolving the root cause of the India-Pakistan crisis: the continued denial of the Kashmir people’s right to self-determination,” Fai added.
Dr. Imtiaz Khan, Professor at George Washington University Medical Center said that denial of right to self-determination has resulted in the suffering of the people of Kashmir. It is also an imminent threat to the security of the region.
Dr. Khan gave detailed account of the numerous massacres in Kashmir, including Chattisingpora, Beijbehara, Mashali Mohala, Sopore, Hnadwara, Gawkadal. He also reminded the audience about Kunan-Poshpora when Indian army gang raped over 100 innocent women, between the ages of 10 to 70. Justice is yet to be delivered, despite the lapse of 30 long years. And world powers do not realize that the deadly cost of their silence and inaction in this regard.
The Kashmir cause received great momentum and support with the report issued by the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights which called for a fact-finding mission on this issue. The assertion of Antonio Guterres that Kashmir issue should be resolved under UN Charter and applicable UN Security Council resolutions testifies the international sanctity of the Kashmir cause. Dr. Khan urged the UN Secretary General to take effective and immediate measures: first to bring the atrocities to an end, second, to bring parties together for a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir dispute.
Ambassador Tauqir Hussain, Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University said that he always believed any peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute can only happen in the context of India- Pakistan relations. It had been India’s desire to make Pakistan and the context of India Pakistan relations irrelevant to the Kashmir dispute. And instead follow the third option that is of finding an internal solution to the problem without the involvement of Pakistan and the international community. But the United Nations resolutions and Article 370 were standing in the way as both had given locus standi to Pakistan and the international community.
The need for the linkage in a dialogue has never been greater. If India is not interested in such a dialogue where Kashmir is the central agenda why should Pakistan be? Pakistan needs to enhance its influence with the international community, especially big powers more so the United States. One must appeal to their national interests. The context of doing that is an improved US Pakistan relationship where Pakistan is relevant to American scheme of things. Pakistan will have a voice then.
Ambassador Hussain underscored that ironically, by slamming the door shut on the international community, India may have overreached itself diplomatically. In trying to make Pakistan irrelevant to Kashmir, India has made it even more relevant. Both the Kashmiris and Pakistan have now nowhere else to go.
Colonel Wes Martin (Ret.), Iraqi war veteran highlighted the human rights atrocities being committed by the Indian army in Kashmir. He hoped that the United States intervention can bring it to a halt if it takes a firm stand against India’s illegal actions in Kashmir, particularly since August 5, 2019.
India’s claim that Kashmir is its internal matter has been rejected by the United Nations which believes that Kashmir conflict has to be resolved under UN Charter and applicable UN Security Council resolutions.
Col. Martin added that Kashmir was known as paradise. Now because of India’s actions, the paradise does not exist anymore. India has enacted new laws to change the demography of Kashmir. Mass graves have been discovered there. Now is the time that we need to become the voice of the people of Kashmir.
Among others, following Kashmiri Americans were present: Saleem Qadri, Sardar Zarif Khan, Shoaib Irshad, Akram Butt, etc.
