Daily Times

Raising the issue of Kashmir at the 71st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is being proclaimed as an outstanding achievement owing to the previous futile attempts to internationalise the issue. Voicing the struggle of the new generation of Kashmiris had become imperative in the given circumstances when Pakistan is being blamed for the Uri terrorist attack. All patriotic Pakistanis hold Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s hard-hitting speech in high regard especially after his determination of not letting go of the “unfinished agenda of the United Nations,” which he showed after winning the July 21, 2016 elections in Azad Kashmir.

While assuring India about how much Pakistan wants to be at peace with its neighbours, the premier laid down a simple fact that peace in the region of South Asia cannot be attained without addressing and resolving the issue of Kashmir, and letting its denizens exercise their right to self-determination. By reminding the Security Council to implement its resolutions immediately, he emphasised on the entire international community to not ignore the calls from innocent Kashmiris who are being brutally persecuted in the name of controlling a rogue crowd of protestors.

Sharif reminded the addressees that the dispute has never been a bilateral issue as claimed by India and, in fact, must be dealt with by the United Nations in accordance with the Security Council Resolution 47. The resolution recommended that India should only leave the minimum number of troops in order to maintain civil order; however, using pellet guns and blinding the dissenters, savagely killing its supposedly arrogated citizens (be that as it may), and raping the women of the land India claims to be its integral part cannot be categorised as means of keeping civil order in response to an indigenous uprising. Pakistan wants India to hold the plebiscite as per the recommendation of the resolution, as it is, factually, the only solution despite the answer being already known. However, India’s unwillingness is accounted for several reasons that it presents, including failure of Pakistan in withdrawing troops, which was recommended in the same resolution as was the plebiscite back in 1948.

India calls for the implementation of the Simla Agreement of 1972 to solve this issue by settling “their differences by peaceful means through bilateral negotiations.” But where do these peaceful means vanish when Pakistan is blamed by the Indian media and ministers for sending spy pigeons or planning the Uri attack? Is India not increasing the chances of a dreaded conflict by supporting the Balochistan separatist movement, and kindling the fire of a country’s disintegration for its own vested interests and concerns regarding CPEC? Is this not a direct violation of the Lahore Declaration of 1999 signed between the same premier of Pakistan and that from India being from the same political party as Prime Minister Narendra Modi?

Under the given circumstances when India is not hesitant in doing any of the aforementioned, how could it convince Pakistan, and how could the whole world possibly get convinced on Pakistan dealing with the Kashmir issue as per the above-mentioned settlements made between the two countries? Furthermore, how can bilateral negotiations be initiated when India has chosen to preconise Pakistan a terrorist state as a cagey evasion to address the Kashmir issue in its First Right of Reply at the UNGA?

Despite all efforts to eradicate the evils of terrorism from this land and not baulking a bit in deploying the security forces in the Operation Zarb-e-Azb, the moving of a bill by US lawmakers to identify Pakistan as a terrorist state felt like a slap in the face. Every country had to be reminded about the blood we have shed, the corpses we have laid to rest, and the pogrom we are facing to date. Everyone had to be reminded that there exists a word in every English dictionary called ‘scapegraces’, in other words, black sheep, who not only exist in Pakistan but all around the globe. Nevertheless, terrorism cannot be taken care of only by cleaning up the mess present today; every attempt must be made in order to shut down all doors to terrorism for the forthcoming generations, the resolution of the Kashmir issue being one of them. Fortunately, this message was very aptly delivered by the prime minister of Pakistan by bringing everyone’s attention to address the “root causes.”

The urgency in the prevalent situation was to bring into everyone’s notice — which they all are already aware of — the brutalities by the Indian security forces, which, as stated by Prime Minister Sharif, are “well documented.” How could the whole world be a silent spectator to the sufferings and agony of Kashmiri? The people of the erstwhile princely state have been experiencing our ignorance and silence since forever, but now the crimson sky is also angered witnessing the apathy this world’s inhabitants show towards Kashmir, thus establishing the fact that some humans are more equal than others. It was crucial to let the world know that barbarous acts conducted on Kashmiris would only heighten their choler and yearning for inhaling invigorated air, and be free without any fear of being assaulted. It was pressingly important to let everyone know that men, women and children turning up on streets and openly resisting the imposed curfew is just an attempt to ask for their fundamental right, and is not at all as threatening as is the use of ‘non-lethal’ pellet guns on unarmed citizens and, later replacing these with chilli-based shells after much harm has already been done.

It was worth mentioning in the end the credibility of the United Nations given the current scenario and the utmost need to restore it by promoting international cooperation, which would eventually lead to peace and prosperity. It is high time that the big powers started thinking about the consequences in case we fail to provide justice to Kashmir and other oppressed nations. The ineffective League of Nations got a chance to be replaced with the United Nations; this opportunity might not be available in the future. The need of the hour is to understand that the demarcation that gave the Union of India and the Dominion of Pakistan their identities has actually deprived Kashmir of its identity. Its past is well-versed; its present is substantially annotated; what needs to be decided is its destiny.

The writer is a student of Biotechnology