Open prison

revoking Article 370 and Article 35-A of the Indian constitution, the Modi-led Indian government has given a new dimension to the Kashmir uprising and has jeopardized the peace of the entire region. It is not only a sheer violation of human rights but also tantamount to making a mockery of UN resolutions which ask for the people of Kashmir to decide their future through a free and fair plebiscite. In addition, this insane move on the part of the Indian state will spark a new wave of violence in the occupied valley. Soon after repealing the article, the Indian government imposed curfew in the valley, detained and put the Kashmiri leadership under house arrest and imposed a complete media blackout. Literally, the entire territory has been turned into a virtual prison for the defenseless people of Kashmir.

For sure, India's such oppressive tactics will be counter-productive and there is every likelihood that a fresh spate of attacks on Indian forces in the held valley will ensue and the already fractured relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours will deteriorate further. To diffuse the alarming situation in the region and to avert any catastrophic incident, human rights watchdogs and world superpowers must take cognizant of the worsening conditions. Furthermore, by adopting this brazen step, India has torpedoed the Afghan peace process because Pakistan occupies a central stage in Afghan affairs. It is time the Indian leadership stopped playing with fire, revisited its Kashmir policy and by granting Kashmiris their birth right of self-determination made South Asia a hub of progress and prosperity.

Muhammad Fayyaz Nawrha

Mianwali