|

Kashmir Dispute: Legacy of Great Britain: Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhary

Articles, Uncategorised

Springfield, Virginia. May 9 2015. “The United States Administration should persuade both India and Pakistan to settle the Kashmir conflict through tripartite and purposeful dialogue.” This was stated by the former Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader, Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry, while addressing a public gathering in Washington, D.C. He emphasized that  Kashmir  is the flash point between the two nuclear countries of India and Pakistan which deserves the attention of the world powers.

Barrister Sultan said that the Kashmir dispute is about the right of self-determination of the people of Jammu & Kashmir. The people should be the makers of their destiny and not India or Pakistan. He reiterated that the peace in the region of South Asia, particularly after the withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan would not be possible unless the Kashmir issue is resolved in the light of UN resolutions and in accordance with wishes and will of the people.

Barrister underlined that Kashmir is not a bilateral issue between New Delhi and Islamabad but an internationally recognized dispute, therefore, dialogue process should include all the three parties – India, Pakistan and Kashmiri people.

He informed the audience that the Indian government including its foreign minister Shusma Swaraj tried her best to convince British government to cancel the “Million Man March” in London but the British government gave preference to the freedom of expression and  rejected the Indian demand to cancel the march.

He said that he told the British Parliamentarians during their current election campaign that  Kashmir dispute was a legacy of Great Britain, therefore, it was imperative for British government to resolve the issue once for all.

Barrister Sultan  urged the United States administration to take notice of the human rights violations being perpetrated by the Indian forces on the people of Kashmir.

Barrister said that we want Pakistan to be strong, then alone it could defend the rights of the people of Kashmir.

Prominent Pakistani American scholar and journalist Mr. Mowahid Hussain Shah, Attorney-at-Law and former Special Assistant to Chief Minister of Punjab said that law, facts, and morality are firmly on the side of the people of Kashmir. He added that India may have occupied Kashmir but they have been unable to conquer the spirit of the people. The people of Kashmir have set an heroic example of resistance against all odds.

While highlighting the ongoing violation of international law in Occupied Kashmir and applicable UN resolutions, Mr. Shah urged fair, full, and free plebiscite under UN auspices.  The denial to date to exercise the right of self-determination represents a lethal threat to the just order of the region.

Mr. Shah elaborated that the key issue for the people of Kashmir was never give up the legitimate struggle. They should take the inspirational example of Nelson Mandela, whose steadfastness and unwavering determination compelled the apartheid regime of South Africa to eventually crumble.

Be wary of the nefarious attempts by vested quarters to depict the Kashmiri struggle in terror colors when, in fact, the current Prime Minister of India, Mr. Modi, was himself excluded and barred from entering the United States for 10 years for his direct complicity in the Gujarat massacres of 2002.  The basis of Mr. Modi’s exclusion by the US State Department should have been highlighted and still needs to be highlighted, Mr. Shah elaborated.

Mr. Shah concluded by stressing that Kashmir was a nonpartisan issue, which was beyond party politics in Pakistan.  And shall remain so until justice is done.

Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Secretary General of the World Kashmir Awareness  said that the Kashmir dispute primarily involves the life and future of the eighteen million people of the Jammu & Kashmir so the fairness demands that they need to be included in determining the future status of their State. He added because of the impact of Kashmir conflict on relations between New Delhi and Islamabad , however, it directly affects the peace and stability of the South-Asian subcontinent which includes India, Pakistan and Afghanistan..

Dr. Fai warned that India and Pakistan both being nuclear-weapon states directly confronting each other, this dispute is potentially the most dangerous in the world.  It should, therefore, be a major interest of the U.S. to prevent this dispute from exploding into a conflict which can be catastrophic for a large proportion of the human race. 

Peace between India and Pakistan could help unlock another conflict with even higher stakes for the United States: the war in Afghanistan. Indeed, a growing chorus of experts has begun arguing that the road to Kabul runs through Kashmir—that the U.S. will never stabilize the former without peace in the latter. Suddenly, bringing India and Pakistan together seems to be very much in America’s interest. Which makes the Obama administration’s determination to avoid the issue increasingly hard to fathom, Fai concluded.

Sardar Zarif Khan thanked the participants for their continued support to the cause of Kashmir.

Sardar Zulfiqar Roshan Khan was the “Master of Ceremony’ of the event.

Similar Posts

  • |

    There is youth-led resistance in Kashmir: Barrister Sultan

    Washington, D.C. August 21, 2017. “The conflict in Indian Occupied Kashmir has acquired a new dimension. Since, July of last year, Kashmiri youth have taken the lead to press for their inalienable right to self-determination, a right guaranteed by the United Nations. The youth has taken to streets, paralyzing the unlawful local administration. They have made it abundantly clear that there is no turning back – this is a do or die phase of the long struggle for “Azadi” (freedom) after decades of the oppressive Indian rule,” said Barrister Sultan Mehmood Choudhry, the former Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir during a press conference in Washington Metro-Politian area.

  • |

    Impartial Investigation Needed in Sopore Killings

    While the international community looks the other way when targeted assassinations occur elsewhere around the globe, it is hardly surprising that we should see this going on in a country so highly disputed as Kashmir. Even more so, where there has been continued resistance to occupation and to many years of disappearances, killings, rapes and terrorism, it is almost a cliché to take note of repeat performances of this insidious war upon the people of Jammu & Kashmir. Certainly we could not expect such a low standard that disrespects human rights and national sovereignty to escape notice by actors who have long had a habit of engaging in such terror.

  • |

    Kashmiris stage huge demonstration in front of the White House

    Washington, D.C. May 22, 2017. Hundreds of Kashmiri Americans – men, women and children – from various states in the United States staged their huge rally in front of the White House. They were demanding United Nations – assured right of self-determination.

    Raising slogans of: “Kashmiri Lives Matter Too” “Kashmir in Pain: India in Shame” “Indian Forces: Out of Kashmir” “Demilitarize Kashmir” “U.N. Implement Resolutions on Kashmir” “Stop Forced Disappearances and Torture in Kashmir,” the marchers held candle light vigil on the sidewalk of the White House.

    Syed Ali Geelani, ‘the Keynote Speaker’ called on the world leaders to persuade India and Pakistan to initiate a meaningful dialogue with the Kashmiri leadership to settle the Kashmir dispute once and for all. He suggested that it is better for Indian authorities to shun its stubborn approach and resolve this long pending issue. “The Indian army is unleashing a new wave of terror, killing dozens and maiming hundreds of unarmed protesters, utilizing bullets and lethal pellet-guns aimed to kill and maim” emphasized Mr. Geelani. He hoped that a new dawn of prosperity, peace and stability will be guaranteed when the Kashmir dispute is resolved to the satisfaction of the people of Kashmir.

  • |

    Preventive Diplomacy: Successes & Failures

    “It is also true that there is no peace and sustainable development without respect for human rights.” Antonio Guterres, Secretary General- elect of the United Nations

    “Mankind must put an end to war or war will put an end to mankind.” President John F. Kennedy

    It has always been a challenge to exchange views on conflict prevention and the summoning into being a peaceful and prosperous world. The intellectual debate is great, but the stakes are even greater. Men and women have yearned for peace and prosperity for ages. President Abraham Lincoln in his second inaugural address declared, “Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away.” Winston Churchill brilliantly recognized that it is invariably better to jaw-jaw than to war-war.

  • |

    To call Kashmir a territorial dispute is to dehumanize it: Ambassador Buch

    November 12, 2017. New York. “It was an honor to have an hour-long meeting with Ambassador Yusuf Buch at his residence in New York City,” said Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Secretary General, World Kashmir Awareness Forum. While paying homage to Ambassador Buch’s life in exile, Fai said: “Ambassador Yusuf Buch born in Srinagar (Capitol City of Kashmir) was along with few other promising and brilliant youth exiled from the state in 1947 for his political beliefs. Mr. Buch was the Senior Advisor to the United Nations Secretary General for 20 years. His contribution to Kashmir cause has been legendary ever since Kashmir dispute was brought to the United Nations by India in 1948. Working in tandem with Kashmiri diaspora, Ambassador Buch had added vibrancy to the Kashmir cause. The nation of Kashmir salutes his commitment and dedication, and pay tribute to his inspirational spirit. Ambassador Buch is undoubtedly, a living encyclopedia on Kashmir.”

  • |

    Is Kashmir an Issue of Election of Self-determination?

    This is an opportunity to explore a vexing but significant topic in the field of human rights: self-determination. The right of self-determination has been celebrated for ages. It is a basic principle of the United Nation Charter which has been reaffirmed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and applied countless times to the settlement of international disputes. The concept played a significant part in the post-world war I settlement, leading for example to plebiscite in a number of disputed border areas, even though no reference was made to self-determination in the League of Nations Covenant.