Daily Times

Chairman Kashmir committee
Fakhar Imam
1. What is the real time situation in Kashmir, do you see its brighter side?
Kashmir is the bone of contentment between the two countries. It is the matter of Pakistan and we cannot close eyes over it. You can call it, ‘an unfinished plan of partition or total injustice’. The day partition of Punjab and Bengal happened Sir Radcliffe made territorial mismanagement and gave Gordaspur (a Muslim majority area) to India. British government disadvantaged Pakistan, all of the Muslim majority tehsils, with the exception of Shakargarh, were handed over to India while Pakistan didn’t receive any Non-Muslim majority district or tehsil in Punjab.

Alastair Lamb, based on the study of recently declassified documents, has convincingly proven that Mountbatten, in league with Nehru, was instrumental in pressurizing Radcliffe to award the Muslim-majority district of Gurdaspur in East Punjab to India which could provide India with the only possible access to Kashmir. Andrew Roberts believes that Mountbatten cheated over India-Pak frontier and states that if gerrymandering took place in the case of Ferozepur, it is not too hard to believe that Mountbatten also pressurized Radcliffe to ensure that Gurdaspur wound up in India to give India road access to Kashmir.

2. Where does the Kashmir issue stands in UN and what is the ground reality?
Kashmir is an unresolved dispute. The case is in UNSC, not like Simla accord, Islamabad accord and Lahore accord. After 1948, 11 resolutions have been passed on it and latest meeting summoned was on 5 September. The assembly session was held for it specifically. The permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, Big Five stance on Kashmir (i.e.) China played a flat out role, Russia seems neutral now, it did not oppose India over the dispute.
It was after 1965 that Kashmir was taken up as disputed in UNSC. The important thing is, ‘Now the Kashmir issue is to be decided through plebiscite not referendum.’

3. Does India finds military action a solution to Kashmir issue?
India intervened and sent its troops into the disputed territory. They enforced article 370 and 35-A. Article 370 of the Constitution of India is a ‘temporary provision’ inserted on 17 October 1949 which gave special powers to the state of Jammu and Kashmir allowing it to have its own constitution whereas article 35-A of the Indian Constitution is an article that empowered the Jammu and Kashmir state’s legislature to define “permanent residents” of the state and provide special rights and privileges to those permanent residents. Now India has snubbed the rights of Kashmiris and through hell. It’s more than a month curfew is imposed and Kashmiris are taken through airlifts to different jails of India.

4. Why is Moodi using this war tactic and for what?
What else can one expect from Indian PM? He is known as, the butcher of Gujarat, he killed over 2500 people, demolished Babri masjid. Previously he has lost 5 state elections, then he played the anti-Muslim card where he got strength from. On the other hand people of India has now seen the real face of moodi, he is against Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians as well as Dalits of India. It is an open abundance of charter of human rights of the UN that states equality; justice, spirituality, and other fundamental norms of universalism.

5. What is your stance on revisiting Foreign policy of Kashmir ..?
I see that the minister of foreign affairs, Shah Mehmood coordinating with the permanent 5 member as well as Germany Canada Japan idly south Africa, Korea and the other Muslim countries.

Senior Hurriyat Leader Abdul Hameed Lone
1. It is hard to lose contact, in a situation of lockdown for more than a month how do Kashmiris be communicating?
There is complete lockdown for more than a month. Communication services, including the internet and landline phones is suspended and has made it difficult for information to trickle out of Kashmir. India thinks, by shutting the communication it can halt the freedom wave.
In recent days, authorities said they have eased some restrictions on people’s movement and restored some landline phone services but it’s not real. One the curfew is lifted, the situation will be entirely different and unexpected

2. Will India be able to achieve its vicious aim?
Never! India conspired to turn Kashmiris into minority. International community and media has taken notice of it, brought real time situation of Kashmir to every eye. It’s a big accomplishment that Kashmir issue is registered as an international dispute rather than a bilateral dispute. It is since the partition of Pakistan that Kashmir is sacrificing its rights but now, there is no room for compromise left behind. ‘Subcontinent is a burning volcano in South Asia’. War can lead to massive havoc and end life from the planet earth. It is the time for the world to play its part.

3. Is it sure that RSS and cow Rakshak Dal has entered in Kashmir along with the Indian army?
BJP used its brute parliamentary majority to fulfill the RSS’ long-pending demand to annul Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and take the first step towards the Sangh Parivar’s dream of establishing a Hindu Rashtra. It’s a queasy feeling that the second Narendra Modi government has vigorously usher the country into the claustrophobic framework of a Hindu Rashtra, as envisaged by the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), on August 5 when the government pushed ahead with the annulment of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and robbed it of Statehood. This is not new to the people because Modi is known for this nefarious conducts in past as well. Kashmiris and those standing with them, will make this Indian strategy flop and…

4. India claims it has lifted curfew from the valley?
India claims that situation is normalized whereas Four US senators have written to President Donald Trump urging him to take action to resolve the issues in Kashmir, letter was signed by Senators Todd Young, Chris Van Hollen, Benjamin L Cardin and Lindsey Graham and expressed their “concern regarding the situation in Kashmir, which has grave implications for democracy, human rights and regional stability. It illustrates that the condition is worse. It can be a genocide, curfew-bound occupied Kashmir is facing shortage of essential items, including food and medicines.

5. Are you satisfied with the UN approach over the dispute of Kashmir?
The atrocities being carried out by India in Kashmir are now out in the open for the whole world to see. This is not a matter of a piece of land, it is a matter of the rights of the people living in Kashmir. There are organizations working for the welfare of humanity and mankind which are denied access to the disputed territory. Now that UN human rights report regarding contemporary situation has made India uncomfortable. The resolution passed on 13 Aug in British parliament is not another word likewise. It is the time to know that Moodi is wearing a mask and the real face behind is brutal enough. Pakistan has an optimistic approach.

Mishal Malik
Entire Pakistanis are worried for Kashmir situation. Tell us what really is going on in there. It’s a situation more or less of a genocide, entire nation is held hostage, all the fundamental rights have been snatched., not just our political rights, right to eat, talk study, open up the books, medical, travel and communicate. There is a complete blanket ban upon everything after the enforcement of article 370 and 35-A. Moodi has given license to the entire Indian army and government to grab our lands, snatch our resources and plunder it. Now their locals can intervene, have land and occupation there in, they will have complete state patronage.

1. Tell us about the health of Yaseen Malik. How is he?
Almost all Hurriyat leaders, including Syed Ali Gilani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq have been put under house arrest or in jails, Yaseen Malik has a very dangerous and fragile condition, he should immediately be shifted to the ICU. He has been tortured by NIA. In April I conducted a conference and announced that I will be leaving for India to meet him. At that time they interrogated so badly beaten him and went on 14 day hunger strike. He is a kidney patient has multiple ailments and has a metallic heart valve in result of poison given to him in the early 90’s in jail. He is locked up in an unhygienic 5’7ft cage for 24 hours. The cage is opened for 15 to 20 mins, his body gets frozen and immobile. His legs got infected, blood clots develop…An anonymous quote, faith and determination can move mountains perfectly fits on him.

2. How it feels being Mrs. Yaseen Malik, does it give u strength?
It’s so helpless at times. I’m not married to a human being, in fact, a cause. It’s not a honeymoon or a hunky Dori ride, my life is a Roller-coaster full of uphill tasks. My faith in Allah keeps me steadfast towards the freedom movement. Apart from living, breathing, raising the career, we all must do something for humanity. I remember my parents used to take us to refugee camps in Islamabad back in my school time to help them and give them presents same is the case with my daughter, Razia Sultana. Destiny would actually take me to the forefront of such a great and challenging freedom struggle.

3. Can you share the Unheard Message of Yaseen Malik from behind the bars?
Yaseen Malik always believe and want that there should be grass root mobilization in Pakistan and its people. Public is supporting Kashmir cause but have no defined path. They are divided under different flagships of political parties and religious school of thoughts. Kashmir cause calls for a powerful unified movement which is above political affiliations. As we see certain parties take out rallies for Kashmir cause they are nothing more than a ceremonial activity specifically on 5th February. There needs to be happenings around the year upon the matter of Kashmir. It is the core issue of Pakistan and the people of Pakistan who always flock out with Kashmiris. Alas! We find no consistency on Kashmir.

4. Armed forces along with RSS have created havoc in Kashmir. How true is it?
India is trying to fool people by telling everyone that everything is okay in Kashmir. “If everything is fine, then why weren’t Indian politicians allowed to travel there?” On August 24, a delegation of nine Indian opposition parties, led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, went to Kashmir to meet the people and party leaders in the region where restrictions have been imposed since the abrogation of Article 370. The delegation, however, was not allowed to step out of Srinagar airport and was sent back an hour after landing in the city. So far, the Indian government has not allowed any political leader to enter the state ever since India withdrew its special status to Kashmir. The highest crime in the world is genocide…

5. In case, the abrogation of article 370 is not ruled back what will be the next strategy of Huriat qayadat?
There is no second option but to resist, resist to our last drop. We are unarmed, no bombs, guns or swords. They are bombarding our homes, our young ones are being disappeared. They are thousands in number and there is no track record of where they are shifted and how they are treated. It’s a spectacular failure. It’s clear now, the shelf life is over and since Modi have come he has scrapped all kind of international treaties.

6. What do you suggest… How the foreign stance should be revisited upon Kashmir?
There are special procedures of UN that needs to be introduced into foreign affairs domain of Pakistan and the diplomatic circle and there special procedure on human rights and so many abuses that happen on human beings. When we are going on international arena there is one domain of human rights council, human rights commission, the other of general assembly and one of the secretary general. International court of Justice is an international forum where Pakistan can take the case of UN charters and resolutions for changing the demography.

7. Any comment upon Imran khan statement, I’ll become the voice for Kashmir. I will be Kashmir’s ambassador.”
This isn’t enough. I need a full-fledged policy based on 20years at least for Kashmir. I don’t want ad-hawkism, there needs to be a constant consistent regular and a very religious policy. Now there must be a very aggressive approach, international war footing policy, loggerhead diplomacy because the crime has been committed there are the highest ones. We need a head strong policy on it and we do not need it for one time but for 20 years at least until Kashmiris get right to self-determination. Imran khan must travel all over the world and campaign for Kashmir, Delegations must be lead not only by the government but from the segments of the society including journalists, writers, intellectuals’ experts and many others. Victims of LOC must be a part of these campaigns. We need to learn from history that developed countries now had a 50 year plan. Why not we make a 20 year plan at least for Kashmir instead of securing next 5 years. When it comes to nation building government needs to have functional think tanks.

8. Where you get hope and strength from. Who is your ideal?
My mother is my all in all. She is a strong woman. As long as you have faith in Allah you never fail. Faith keeps me and my family going.

9. The UN and amnesty international measures are satisfactory or not?
We need a lot more to be done from the International agencies UNO, HRW, united general secretary in correspondence with his team, the human rights commission and Christine chunk issued a report this year and last year as well if the violation of human rights and they demanded a commission. When it comes to international forum these documents worth evidence and something that needs to be dealt seriously whereas India is superseding surpassing all international mechanisms, treaties, conventions, Geneva convention all multilateral agreements including the UN resolution that are over a dozen. Ultimately Indians have surpassed their own constitution from legal aspects.