Daily Times

India has been defying the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions for decades by not holding a plebiscite in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, giving the Kashmiris their birth right of self-determination so as to decide their future themselves. On August 5, 2019, India’s Modi Government went many steps ahead resorting to mockery of the unimplemented UNSC Resolutions by revoking Article 370 of the India Constitution, white-washing the special status of the occupied territory, turning it into an integral part of Indian Union, despite the fact it was an internationally, more importantly UNSC’s, declared disputed territory between the two neighbouring states that are Pakistan and India.

The two countries which gained freedom from the long British rule in 1947, have fought wars over Jammu and Kashmir, which somehow remains unresolved as India persists on defying the UNSC Resolutions which were passed on its own request.

As a matter of record, the two countries fought their first war over Jammu and Kashmir in 1947-48 after India had forcibly occupied major part of the valley in October 1947 on the pretext of an Instrument of Accession signed by its last Maharaja by airlifting its army. When the Indian military intervention was countered by Pakistan Army, India hurriedly moved the Kashmir dispute under the provisions of the UN Charter on January 1,1948.

UNSC passed Resolution No 39 on January 20, 1948 calling for an urgent investigation into the dispute in order to avert possibility of its turning into a major war between the two countries. This was to be done by the newly-established UN Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP).

The Indian Government has not budged from its unilateral brutal measures, continues mocking the UNSC Resolutions.

The UNSC adopted the Resolution No. 47 on April 21, 1948 calling for a ceasefire and decided that accession of Jammu and Kashmir princely state either to Pakistan or to India will be determined through a free and impartial plebiscite to which both the countries agreed. The Resolution also instructed the UNCIP to visit the sub-continent and take measures to facilitate India and Pakistan to hold the plebiscite in accordance with Resolution No. 47.

India continued defying the UNSC Resolution on one or the other pretext fully knowing that in case a free and independent plebiscite is held, the predominant Muslim population of the valley will vote to accede to Pakistan.

Greatly disappointed over the failure all efforts for resolving the Kashmir dispute through peaceful means for years together, the people of occupied Kashmir intensified their indigenous freedom struggle in 1989 to secure their right of self-determination.

The Kashmiris are continuing their struggle in a determined manner offering sacrifices of men, women, youth, children almost every day in the face of Indian security forces whose number has crossed to more than 9 lakhs and they committing flagrantly human rights violations day and night and, thus, committing genocide of Muslim population in order to change the demographic position of the disputed territory.

Their freedom struggle is continuing, despite the fact the India had put the entire occupied territory under complete lockdown after revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

According to facts and figures available from Kashmir’s reliable sources despite suspension of all means of communication, more than 100000 Kashmiris have been brutally martyred by the India security forces since 1989, and the bloodshed and violence is continuing in an unabated manner. The Indian security forces are targeting the Kashmiri youth particularly and hitting them with pellet gunshots. The Indian security men also pick the youth in so-called house to house search and afterwards, they are sent to jails in unknown Indian areas. Almost all leaders of the All Parties Hurriyet Conference (APHC) have been taken into custody and put in jails in India.

It is an established fact that unresolved Kashmir issue has turned into a flashpoint between the neighbouring nuclear states of India and Pakistan thus endangering the peace and stability in the region

Through the concerted efforts of Pakistan, Kashmir issue has been put out of the cold storage after as many as 55 years, discussed twice.

Although more and more countries are voicing their support for peaceful negotiations of burning Kashmir issue in response to Pakistan efforts for ensuring peace and stability in the region, it is rather deplorable and shocking to note that no country is willing to pressurize Indian leadership to implement UNSC Resolutions neither taking any step to threat India’s trade and economic interests directly or indirectly.

The Indian Government has not budged from its unilateral brutal measures, continues mocking the UNSC Resolutions, the complete lockdown in the occupied territory is continuing for almost one year now, all means of communication and internet remain suspended, foreign media is being denied visits or access to the occupied territory and the brave, courageous and determined people of occupied Kashmir are continuing their freedom struggle more vehemently with every passing day and, thus, keep trying to awaken the sleeping consciousness of the international community.

They have been observing October 27 as the darkest day of their history when their territory was forcibly occupied by India against their wishes and aspirations in 1947.

Now, they are also observing another darkest day, on August 5, every year to protest against their territory being made part of Indian Union as long as their indigenous peaceful and unarmed freedom struggle meets with success, they exercise their right of self-determination and decide their future themselves after decades long sacrifices, bloodshed, violence and brutalities at the hands of occupying Indian security forces. This is bound to happen much sooner than later.

The writer is Lahore-based Freelance Journalist, Columnist and retired Deputy Controller (News) Radio Pakistan Islamabad and can be reached at zahidriffat@gmail.com