ThinkFest 2020: Kashmir lockdown may lead to indigenous militancy, says AJK president

LAHORE: Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Masood Khan called upon the United Nation Security Council (UNSC) to meet at the earliest to discuss the atrocities, being committed by the occupational Indian forces in the held Valley.

Speaking at a ThinkFest 2020 session on ‘Kashmir under lockdown’ here on Saturday, he said the UNSC was supposed to discuss Kashmir issue back in Dec 2019. However, due to procedural delays, it could not do so. He impressed upon the UN leadership to hold the crucial event in January or next in the month so that plight of Kashmiri people could be highlighted.

About the ground situation in held Valley, he said Kashmiris had been subjected to brutal acts by the Indian forces in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir since Aug 5, 2019.

Detentions of thousands of innocent children and youth and imposition of every kind of curbs had forced people to think about starting a new indigenous movement against the Indian rule. He said that parliaments of various countries including the UK, USA, European Union and France had expressed serious concerns over the ongoing crises in Kashmir as a result of hegemonic policies of Narendra Modi government. He also mentioned positive role of governments of Turkey, Malaysia, Germany and Saudi Arabia for raising voice against Indian unlawful acts about the status of Kashmir and subsequent use of violence as a state policy by Premier Modi.

Pakistan’s former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar said Pakistan misread or missed the mediation offer made by President Trump over Kashmir.

It is pity that despite internationalisation of the Kashmir issue, no negotiations could be started for resolution of the dispute. India is not willing to launch diplomatic talks with Pakistan, though it insisted on bilateral mechanism regarding Kashmir talks, she added. However,

she said policies of Narendra Modi had helped in projecting Kashmir issue at international forums.

Speakers including Ejaz Haidar said that Pakistan would have to change its foreign policy to engage the international community over Kashmir. There is need to highlight right to self-determination and fears of genocide being committed by India at appropriate international forums, they said. The United Nations resolutions on Kashmir are basis for resolving disputes, they said and added that India must be held accountable in this regard while engaging leadership of various leading countries.

Later, a fruitful debate about local governments acts in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa were held at the ThinkFest 2020, involving discussion by former Indian Union Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar.

He lauded the new LG system, saying that India needs to learn from Pakistan’s experience. He was of the view that when and if Pak-India relations improve, there is tremendous opportunity to interact on possibilities of improved local governance in both India and Pakistan.