Kashmir issue key to peace in region

Pakistan continues to pursue a foreign policy of peaceful co-existence with all countries, particularly its neighbours,  and resolving all disputes in a meaningful, purposeful,  objective, cordial atmosphere.

Pakistan and India are close neighbours, nuclear powers and have a number of unresolved disputes and issues topped by the lingering and burning Kashmir issue. Pakistan enjoys cordial and friendly relations with all other countries of the region.

It is pertinent to mention here that India is not only illegally occupying Jammu and Kashmir for more than seven decades, denying the Kashmiris their fundamental right of self-determination, persistently resorting to brutalities and atrocities through its security forces on the residents who are living in the longest lockdown and curfew since 5 August 2019 and committing gross human rights violations while the international community just occasionally condemns tragic happenings in the occupied territory, and the UN  Security Council also is helpless in enforcing its  own resolutions for a free, fair plebiscite to let the Kashmiris decide their future themselves.

The political leadership and military of Pakistan and people have all along been supporting the Kashmiris’ indigenous, just and unarmed struggle for the fundamental right of self-determination, extending all political, diplomatic and moral support to Kashmiris reiterating the same on all occasions, besides raising the Kashmir issue at all international forums including the UN General Assembly, calling for implementation of Security Council resolutions, restoring the pre-5 August status of the occupied Jammu and Kashmir territory and lifting the world’s most prolonged lockdown there.

The People of Pakistan celebrated the 81st anniversary of the passage of the Pakistan Resolution on March 23 in the usual enthusiastic manner while strictly adhering to SOPs owing to the persistent covid-19 pandemic in the country. The Kashmir issue had figured on this historic occasion both directly and indirectly.

Addressing the Pakistan Day military parade in Islamabad, President Dr Arif Alvi described the happenings in occupied Jammu and Kashmir as a human tragedy and reiterated that the whole Pakistani nation was with the Kashmiri people and would continue to stand with them and also urged the  international community  to take notice of the worsening human rights  situation in India’s illegally occupied territory of Jammu and Kashmir and play its role in ensuring regional peace.

In connection with the Pakistan Day celebrations, an unusual and unexpected letter couched in diplomatic language was received from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed to Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is regarded by the Kashmiris the world over as the Ambassador of Kashmir . There was no mention of the Kashmir and other disputes which are blocking  the normalization of relations between the two neighbouring countries because of the Indian leadership’s continued hostile attitude towards Pakistan.

The Indian PM keppt himself to saying that India desires to have cordial relations with the Pakistani people while extending greetings to them on the occasion of Pakistan Day, adding “as a neighbouring country India desires cordial relations with the people of Pakistan , for this an environment of trust, devoid of terror and hostility is imperative”. The Indian PM in saying so had only reiterated his country’s oft-stated stance making no mention of occupied Jammu and Kashmir and what was going on there on the Kashmiris at the hands of the large Indian security forces there.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, while responding to his Indian counterpart’s letter, quite categorically stated that peace in South Asia hinged on a Kashmir settlement, that the Pakistani people also desire peaceful, cooperative relations with all neighbours including India, and that Pakistan was convinced durable peace and stability in South Asia was contingent upon  resolving all outstanding  issues between India and Pakistan including Jammu in particular the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, and that the creation of an enabling environment was imperative for a constructive and result-oriented dialogue.

There can be no normalization of relations between the two neighbouring nuclear powers in any manner till the Kashmir dispute is resolved in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions, and the aspirations of  the Kashmiris who are struggling for freedom from Indian shackles of slavery.

While the Indian PM had used diplomatic language , with the intentions better known to him,  Pakistani Prime Minister had responded quite aptly  reiterating Pakistan’s principled stand regarding the Kashmir dispute which continues unresolved for more than seven decades and thus putting the peace in the region at stake due to New Delhi’s persisting hostilities and hegemonic policies not only towards Pakistan, but also other countries of the region.

The contents of the letters written by the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan to each other reveal a marked difference. The language which the Indian PM had used accusatory in nature to say the least while that of the Pakistani PM had a historical perspective.

India has all along been trying to dub the Kashmiris’ just and indigenous struggle for freedom from India’s occupation as “terrorism” to hoodwink the international community in a crude and brutal attempt to cover up its gross human rights violations in the occupied territory as more and more countries are gradually becoming  sensitive to the tragic happenings  there.

It is also a bitter historical fact that Pakistan has itself been victim of terrorism for decades together and persistently demonstrated its resolve and capability to  address the challenge so poised  in a non-discriminatory and comprehensive manner  and has taken verifiable measures  against all manifestations of terrorism, extremism and militancy . In doing so, Pakistan’s armed forces, security institutions and law enforcement agencies have and continue to offer sacrifices of the sons and daughters of soil while chasing out the hostile elements from the sacred soil of Pakistan.

Suffice to say that there can be no normalization of relations between the two neighbouring nuclear powers in any manner till the Kashmir dispute is resolved in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions, and the aspirations of  the Kashmiris who are struggling for freedom from Indian shackles of slavery and continue to look towards international community for doing more than merely condemnation of gross human  rights violations in occupied territory.

Pakistan has repeatedly told the world at large that Kashmir is a nuclear flashpoint and the peace and stability in the region continue to be at stake till the lingering and burning issue is resolved peacefully and UN Security Council resolutions are implemented in letter and spirit.

Kashmir is a lifeline of Pakistan, the hearts of the people of Pakistan and of the Kashmiris beat together , the political and military leadership  and the people of Pakistan continue to extend their unstinted moral, diplomatic  and political support to their Kashmiri brethren. Kashmitis are bound to get their freedom soon and Kashmir is going to become Pakistan, God willing.