Islamabad, September 03, 2020 (PPI-OT): Sardar Masood Khan, President Azad Jammu and Kashmir, has said that the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders are nothing less than henchmen of the Indian government, who are equally responsible for the plight of Kashmiris. The 1947 Jammu massacre took place under the silent watch of Sheikh Abdullah and in 2016 after the martyrdom of Burhan Wani, Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP government had allowed for the use of indiscriminate use of pellet-firing shotguns to maim and blind Kashmiris, he said.
The AJK President made these remarks while addressing an interactive Q and A session on Kashmir, jointly organised by the Kashmir Youth Alliance and the Volunteer Force Pakistan here at the Federal College of Education, H-9. The event was attended by students from leading universities of Islamabad.
The President expressed his deepest gratitude to Dr Mujahid Gillani, president Kashmir Youth Alliance (KYA) and president Volunteer Force Pakistan Usman Raza Jolaha for their concerted efforts in organising seminal events for highlighting the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. He especially praised their role Pakistan for mobilising and creating greater awareness amongst our new generation, who he said would lead the global struggle for the oppressed Kashmiris.
President Masood while answering a query on the role of the PDP and NC said that today the leadership of these parties are speaking against India only because the Indian government has snipped their powers. They, he said, are not the true representatives of the Kashmiri people and instead have been working towards legitimising Indian rule in Kashmir since 1947. They have been cut off and their only concern is restoring the power and privilege they enjoyed under the patronage of India. “We do not accept them as the true leadership of Kashmir. They are equally responsible for the mayhem and destruction witnessed in Kashmir since India illegally occupied this territory in 1947”, said the President.
President AJK impressed upon his audience that India is fighting wars on many fronts; militarily, economically, politically, diplomatically and also on the communication front. India, he said, has mostly used propaganda techniques to peddle their false narrative. We should be prepared to fight this 5th generation warfare and our aim should be to engage a wider audience through effective communication and create mass awareness on Kashmir.
The President said that Pakistan and AJK have been working diplomatically and politically to highlight the Kashmir issue. He said that we need to further strengthen our efforts on these fronts and also incorporate effective communication as an indispensable tool to engage the global community on Kashmir. He said that Kashmir has been highlighted most vividly after August 5, India has been severely criticised for usurping the rights of Kashmiris, while major international organisations have published various reports on Kashmir. “We should capitalise on this communication bonanza”, he said.
Masood Khan said that the current Indian government advocates the Hindutva policy and romanticises the creation of an Akhand-Baharat. This extremist Hindu-fascist government of India envisions a “pure” Baharat in which non-Hindus have no place. “Remember, this existential war has been imposed on us and it’s our duty to safeguard our ideology and Islamic identity”, he said.
The AJK President to a question on the role of the United Nations (UN) said that the UN after the Second World War – became the face of the new world order and their mission was to save the world from the scourge of war and maintain peace; but due to realpolitik it has failed to resolve pressing issues like Kashmir. “The UN is not going to give us Kashmir on a silver platter; rather this would only be achieved by our efforts. Unless we transform Kashmir into an international movement, in the same manner, support was garnered against the Apartheid or the Vietnam War; the UN will not act and instead would continue with its lackadaisical approach in this matter”, he said.
Speaking on the issuance of the new political map of Pakistan, the President said that this map depicts the true aspirations of the Kashmiri and Pakistani people; and also promotes the resolution of the Kashmir dispute through UN Security Council resolutions. He said that Pakistan has not altered the relevant article of its Constitution on Kashmir and still strongly believes that the Kashmiris be granted their inalienable right to self-determination in accordance with relevant UNSC resolutions. Later, the President also presented shields and certificates amongst the participants of the event.
For more information, contact:
President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir
President Secretariat, Muzaffarabad Azad Jammu and Kashmir
Kashmir House, F-5/2, Islamabad
Tel: +92-582-2920401, +92-519-214692
Email: presidency@presidentajk.gov.pk
Website: https://www.presidentajk.gov.pk/