Kashmir Solidarity Day

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by Irfan Mahar    5 February 2021

Kashmir Solidarity Day, also known as ‘Youm-e-Yakhjehti-e-Kashmir,’ has been observed in Pakistan since 1990 on February 5 every year.  Pakistan government has announced a public holiday on February 5 to show solidarity with Kashmiri people, who have been fighting for their inalienable right to self-determination under United Nations resolutions, and condemn the Indian illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir. In February each year, the whole Pakistani nation, through many ways such as speeches, protests, and media, shows support to their Kashmiri people, highlights the plight of the oppressed Kashmiri people and tries to bring this issue to the notice of the world community, UN and Human Rights watchdogs. The stunning valley has turned into the bleeding-occupied valley and the world’s largest prison because of Indian hawkish, brutal, and rigid policies imposed on the innocent people of Kashmir valley for the last seven decades. Furthermore, after PM Modi government’s decision about the abrogation of Article 370 and 35-A of the Indian constitution on August 5, 20202 has added oil to the plights of already suppressed and oppressed people of the valley.

Moreover, the Modi government’s state-sponsored terrorism increased armed forces in Jammu and Kashmir by sending additional 35,000 soldiers. Additionally, the Indian government put senior politicians in Kashmir under house arrest, curfewed the entire population, closed schools, networks, and media coverage. While Pakistan condemned the Modi government’s unilateral decision through the expulsion of the Indian Ambassador, limiting diplomatic relations, and calling on international forums to stop Indian brutalities within Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Additionally. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, while a press conference, said that Pakistan’s eyes are over Srinagar and Jammu, including this; he explained that Srinagar is our final destiny. India has changed from shinning India into burning India because of the Indian government; resultantly, everywhere in India, fire is burning.

The policies and actions of the present BJP government have generated multiple problems not only in India but also in Jammu and Kashmir. PM Modi used political rhetoric to influence and emotionally blackmail India’s people, mainly the Hindu community, through spreading the Hindu nationalist perspective, and somehow he has been successful. As far as the popular narrative is concerned, India has been more successful than Pakistan in defaming Pakistan and propagating and highlighting the Kashmir issue. The Indian government has been more successful in getting the global forums’ attention via state-sponsored media network. The EU DisinfoLab report has exposed the Indian propaganda against Pakistan and spread bogus news about Kashmir through fake media outlets.

Such kind of Indian actions has been provoking the tensions between two nuclear power states, which ultimately take them towards conflict resultantly, the peace of the region would be disturbed. If India takes such an action as an Arial strike against Jaesh Muhammad within Pakistani territory, then Pakistan has no choice except respond/retaliate in national defence, but both the nations have to think rationally and solve their tensions through dialogue and peaceful means. However, once you responded, no one could say where it would go; it might take them towards the destruction of both the countries because of nuclear power. In this regard, Pakistan wants to engage a third party like America or China to solve the Kashmir issue. Moreover, China is an influential regional state, but it will deal with India in pressurizing regarding the solution of the Kashmir issue. Simultaneously, both countries have a difference of opinion over many issues, such as the China-India border clash.

As for as the Indian perspective is concerned, it does not want to engage the third party in the Kashmir conflict solution. The Indian government considers the Kashmir issue as bilateral between India and Pakistan that is a clear violation of UNSC resolutions. Furthermore, India has been doing Human Rights Violations (HRVs) and violations of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir’s disputed status. It puts many questions over the authority and reliability of international institutions and the nations that are considered the protectors of human rights violations and democratic values. But this biased behaviour of such nations and global forums towards many countries create suspension within weak and developing nations. Therefore, it is high time for the UN, human rights organisations, the US, China, and other major powers to listen to the Kashmiri people’s plights and take serious steps for the solution of this issue. Moreover, the Kashmir issue not only provides the people of Kashmir the right to self-determination but also creates peace and stability throughout the region by avoiding any major conflict between two nuclear power states, namely India and Pakistan.

The writer is a Ph.D. scholar in the Department of Defense and Strategic Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Pakistan.