Daily Times

The ever-belligerent India’s hostility in the Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK) has surpassed all bounds of civility. India, as known to the whole world, has shamelessly geared up its acts of brutality in the IoK, particularly after US President Donald Trump in his one-on-one meet with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan on July 22, 2019 disclosed that in one of his recent meetings with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he was asked by the latter to mediate and resolve the long-pending Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan.

President Trump, without mincing words, vociferously made the offer to PM Khan to mediate between Pakistan and India to resolve the Kashmir issue, once and for all, to bring lasting peace and stability not only to the two warring nations of the subcontinent but the entire region. The whole world stands testimony to the mediation offer made by the US president.

If I could guess, I am sure others too who are aware of India’s antagonistic attitude vis-à-vis the innocent people of the occupied Kashmir could also see how India would react to President Trump’s offer for mediation on Kashmir. India’s reaction to US president’s mediation offer did not take too long to come to the fore. It was, as expected, vehement. Indian government did not take a second to deny Trump’s declaration.

India’s backtracking on its utterances and commitments are common knowledge. India lacks moral courage to stand by what it says. The denial of Trump’s claim is a glaring example of India’s flaky attitude of backtracking, particularly in matters of immense international significance.

After the blatant act of withdrawing the special status of the IoK by revoking Article 370 and 35-A of the Indian Constitution by Modi and his associates in Indian parliament, one is now compelled to think what actually transpired between Modi and Trump in the meeting they had. Did Modi really seek the US president’s mediation on the Kashmir issue, or was it something else he discussed with him and sought his support for? From what India has now barefacedly and unlawfully done by nullifying the special status of the IoK, in complete disregard of the UN Resolution of 1948, it can be clearly concluded that Modi in his meeting with Trump did not seek his mediation on the Kashmir issue. In all probability, he discussed his ill-motivated and well-thought-out plan to nullify the special status of the IoK by revoking the decades-old Article 370 and 35-A, which gave a measure of autonomy to the disputed Muslim-majority region, through a presidential decree.

The US government, which is silent on the scandalous and unlawful measure taken by the Indian government, must promptly respond to the situation

The US government, which is silent on the scandalous and unlawful measure taken by the Indian government, must promptly respond to the situation and ask India to immediately restore the special status of theIoK. If the US, for some reason, fails to do so, not only Pakistan but other countries would be forced to consider that the profoundly condemnable measure unilaterally taken by Modi, in defiance of all norms of international law, has the blessings of Trump and his government.

The IoKhas been burning for the last seven decades. The civilised world is not oblivious of the atrocities that India continues to brazenly commit on the innocent people of Kashmir. It has a few parallels in world history. The powers that be and all other countries must not only condemn India’s brutal atrocities in the IoK in the strongest terms but also persuade India to immediately restore the special status granted to the occupied territory.

Pakistan must seek resolution of the long-pending Kashmir issue through the UN Resolution of 1948, which emphasises resolution of the Kashmir problem through grant of right to self-determination to the oppressed people of Kashmir. It must not lose a moment to expose India’s highhandedness and heinous crimes in Kashmir. It must proactively raise the issue on all international forums. It must launch a strong diplomatic offensive, and approach the United Nations and the powers that be to resolve the matter forthwith. Every possible endeavour to mobilise strong global support in favour of the subjugated Kashmiri people should be top most on the diplomatic agenda of Pakistan.

The writer is a freelance columnist based in Islamabad