Ever since the Imran Khan-led government came into power, Pakistan has seen a shift of policy by banning all locally operating militant outfits and distancing itself from militancy in the Indian occupied Kashmir. Prime Minister Khan has reinforced the narrative of a pacifist approach where he believes that political lobbying and negotiations are the only solutions for a successful settlement in the Kashmir dispute.
While the foreign office has enthusiastically lobbied for the Kashmir cause, it has achieved little success amid the economic interests, the international community has with the huge market India has to offer. Given this disappointment, it is now imperative that Pakistan reconsiders its lobbying strategy and focuses on building public perception and awareness before it can expect any fruitful response at the official level.
The Palestinian case is no different than that of Kashmir. Yet while the Palestinian mention may be brought up on international forums even if in vain, support for Kashmir is completely non-existent. The public perceptions for the Palestine cause may have to do with the religious significance of its occupied city Jerusalem but it is also owed to the zealous grass-root level lobbying pursued by its proponents on foreign territories. In the form of student activism, layperson engagement, and targeted awareness campaigns, Palestinian grass root level lobbying has become an international phenomenon.
The Palestinian cause is seen as a religious commitment by Pakistan not just because it is a humanitarian issue or a case of oppression against Muslim brethren but also because of the sanctity attributed to the Holy land. Kashmir on the other hand while not as religiously significant in terms of sanctity, holds a sacrilegious status to Pakistan’s foundation as a nation-state. In other words, both should be equally important humanitarian issues for the international community but for Pakistan, they hold a special status.
Thus it only makes sense for Pakistan to take a step forward and tie up both of these issues together as a unified cause. As mentioned before, the Palestinian activist community in the west holds a strong level of influence at the grass-root level, while Pakistan boasts a large population and resources. Such a partnership can be of mutual benefit, with the Palestinian cause gaining an exponential influx of support all the while Kashmir becomes a component tied to it.
The influence of such a campaign has been severely underestimated in Pakistan. Taking a glimpse into history shows that grass root level campaigning or student activism has marked several radical changes in the course of history. The very foundation of Pakistan was a result of the student activism that began at Aligarh University in the early 20th century. The students then most of whom went to Cambridge University for further studies, established the Muslim league upon their return to the subcontinent. Following a struggle of three decades then, this group became the founding fathers of Pakistan. Similarly, the Zionist movement too was a product of grass root level lobbying initiated through the writings and activism of journalist Theodor Herzl.
Therefore the past of Palestine and Kashmir both are tied with grass-root level lobbying and activism. In that spirit, the way to their liberation in the future is no different. In my alma mater York University, Canada the Palestinian lobby boasts a great deal of influence and has on occasion even brushed with the university administration. Only recently, the student leaders of the York University-based influential student group, Palestine Solidarity Collective discussed the possibility of making a united front for both Palestine and Kashmir. The idea was not only seen as a University level campaign but a potential narrative that could be pitched internationally. To put it into perspective, Palestinian lobbyists and student activists are a tightly knit community and have their branches of solidarity movements throughout universities in a country where they have a significant presence. This not only effectively helps change the perceptions of large student communities but through interactions with researchers and professors, opens doors to academic discourse.
In simpler words, universities in the west as large as this not only boast a significant ethnic diversity in their student body but host some of the world’s leading academics and thinkers. The academics I mentioned are not just university professors but often part of leading think tanks, builders of public intellectual perceptions and some are even the part of government policymaking. The activism in Universities under their watch then doesn’t just remain confined to mere student discussions but reaches to government levels through these academics and to the laymen worldwide through other students. To reassert my point, a protest organized at York University in 2019 by the Palestinian lobby received international coverage as far as Russia and was directly inquired by Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau.
In Canada only, Palestinian lobbyists like the Palestine Solidarity Collective are rallying for a candidate expected to run for the premiership of Canada in the next federal elections. The green party leader Dimitri Lascaris has been directly engaging with the Palestine lobby and has promised to take up that cause as a part of his election manifesto. If the Kashmir cause is tied up with Palestine, perhaps the support base for Mr. Dimtri might significantly increase. This could then result in both the causes having some sort of representation at the highest ranks of a western government. Furthermore, students exposed to these campaigns may grow up to become influential leaders thereby supporting the causes at official levels.
The power of the youth and grass root level lobbying in recent years is demonstrated by how student activists pressurized the American government to withdraw from Vietnam. For the Pakistani government then to build up a successful political campaign, it needs to empower the youth and with indirect facilitation let them champion Pakistan’s advocacy for both Kashmir and Palestine.
The writer is an alumnus of Aitchison College, currently pursuing his bachelor’s at York University, Canada where he also serves as Pakistani community Director. He frequently writes on current affairs, politics and history.
He tweets at @Khan__Bahadur