By: Dr. Maqsood Jafri
Altaf Ahmed Bhat, is a committed and a veteran Kashmiri freedom fighter. He is a political stalwart as well and is highlighting the Kashmir case at national and international level.
Today, he has shared a heart wrenching video on WhatsApp, in which the Indian army is shown, uncouthly thrashing out some young guys in Pooch City, which is my birthplace. It is highly cruel and inhuman that these Kashmiri young boys are made naked and military men are flogging on their hips and inserting chilly in their anus/ rectums. This video unveils the gruesome and ferocious face of the unprecedented atrocities committed by the Indian occupied forces against the defenseless innocent civilians of Pooch, and Rajouri, Indian Occupied Kashmir. Approximately, seventy persons were subjected to 3rd- degree torture, resulting in the tragic demise of four, as mentioned by Altaf Ahmed Bhat. The gravity of such uncouth and inhumane atrocious act calls for an immediate attention and thorough investigation by UN peace enforcing agencies. Such actions are denunciated and renounced by all humanitarians worldwide. The perpetrators must be punished and legal action must be taken against them by the Poonch administration and civil courts. Actually, such callous actions against the Kashmiris are the part and parcel of the obnoxious policy of fascist Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India. He and his political cohorts intend to crush the freedom movement of Kashmiris by blind force. The victims are seen shrieking with intense pain and are fluttering like bruised birds or like a fish out of water. It is highly shocking scene and a shameful act of barbarity by Indian occupied forces. The question arises as to what is the role of 57 impotent Muslim countries which are dumb and mute on the incessant atrocities being perpetrated by fascist Israel on the civilians of Gaza and the crimes being committed by the Indian occupational army on defenseless Kashmiris. They are silent and ineffective because of the American fright, fury and furor. There are many American humanitarians and lobbyists who exercise peaceful and sane influence on American establishment and they can play positive role in extinguishing the flames of war, but the Muslim governments are absolutely incapable and incompetent to tackle the situation. Similarly, America and the Western countries could be approached by Pakistan, but our diplomatic side is redundantly dormant. Where is OIC and Muslim Umma? Can’t they sever diplomatic relations with India? Can’t they impose economic sanctions on India by boycotting Indian goods. Can’t they unanimously make a policy to stop Indian aggression? Actually, the Muslim rulers are dead and conscienceless. In the whole Middle East, in the Muslim countries, the Indian Labor class is pervasive and dominant. Why to blame others? They were never our friends and will never be our friends as the Quran told us centuries ago. It is strongly appealed with a heavy heart that Pakistan should accelerate diplomatic strategy and use all means and sources to unveil the dirty face of India and mobilize world opinion against the human rights violations in Kashmir. We need to exert more to pressurize the UN to take stringent steps against India in the light of Chapter 7 of UN Charter, that professes and proposes the economic sanctions and severance of diplomatic relations with aggressive country. India is an aggressor and must be punished according to the UN rules.
Besides, according to UN resolution Azad Kashmir government is an Administrative Autonomous Body. It is a base camp of freedom. But unfortunately, this base camp has become the rat race ground for local political parties. It has no role in the freedom of Kashmir. The priorities of Pakistani politicians are also power grabbing and looting the national exchequer.
Under this hopeless situation, Pakistani Establishment is the only ray of hope and light in the dark and dreary tunnel. We have to protect Pakistan and along with it, we have to support the genuine demand of the Kashmiris for their right to Self- determination and fair and transparent plebiscite under UN supervision. This right is granted to them by UN. We need new policy and plan to meet the challenge after the forcible annexation of Kashmir by India on August 5, 2019, revoking the article 370 and article 35/ A from its constitution.
I humbly suggest that my two books on Kashmir published by the National Book Foundation, Islamabad, titled “The Plight of Kashmir” and “Kashmir: Under Siege” present pragmatic viable steps to be taken under the circumstances. Maybe they are of some help in this regard.
