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Kashmir is an international issue and not internal matter of India

Articles, Uncategorised

Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Secretary General, World Kashmir Awareness said that Ms. Sushma Suraj’s assertion at the United Nations that Kashmir was an integral part of India was factually and legally wrong statement. Because under all international agreements, accepted by both India & Pakistan, negotiated by the United Nations and endorsed by the Security Council, Kashmir does not belong to any member state of the United Nations. If Kashmir does not belong to any member state of the United Nations, then the claim of Ms. Sushma Suraj that Kashmir was an integral part of India does not stand. Again, if Kashmir was not the integral part of India, then Kashmiris cannot be and should not be called secessionist or separatist, because Kashmiris cannot secede from a country – like India to which they have never acceded to in the first place.

Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry, former Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir said “We believe that for the peace process to achieve an equitable and lasting settlement of the dispute, it must fully associate the representatives of the people of Jammu & Kashmir; and provided for each successive step towards settlement being supervised by the United Nations or any impartial agreed body set up for the purpose.” Barrister added that no solution to the Kashmir problem will be credible if it involves coercion on the people of the State by any external party.

Mr. Ishtiyaq Hameed, Representative of All Parties Hurriyet Conference said , “The dialogue process must not be only between India and Pakistan rather India and Pakistan must initiate the dialogue process with the genuine leadership of the people of Kashmir – the leadership that represents the broader spectrum of the opinion of the people of Kashmir from both sides of the Cease-fire Line.

Dr. Imtiaz Khan, President, Kashmiri American Council said, “The world powers must remind both India and Pakistan that the final status of Jammu & Kashmir is yet to be determined and it has to be decided by the people of Jammu & Kashmir.” Dr. Khan added that the world powers must stress to the Government of India to allow humanitarian organizations to Kashmir.

Sardar Sawar Khan, former Advisor to the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir said, “The United Nations has unfinished business in Kashmir. There exist several United Nations resolutions that clearly state the people of Jammu & Kashmir have the right to determine their own future through a free, fair and impartial vote. We are asking the United Nations to follow on its commitment to the people of Kashmir.

Captain Shaheen Bhat, leader of Kashmir American community said, “The Government of India must accept that the United Nations resolutions are binding on both India and Pakistan. It must also accept the fact that Kashmir is a disputed territory and not the internal matter of India.”

Dr. Asif Rehman, former President of AAPNA said, “We advocate a solution to the Kashmir dispute through peaceful negotiations. The Kashmir issue threatens to ignite another war between India and Pakistan both of which are nuclear powers. The United States has the leverage to persuade both India and Pakistan to settle the Kashmir dispute to the satisfaction of the people of Kashmir.

Sardar Imitaz Khan, New Jersey said, “The world powers must endorse the recommendation of the United Nations High Commissioner that an impartial investigation needs to be made about the latest situation in Occupied Kashmir. The United Nations must send a fact finding mission to asses the situation there.”

Mr. Rohail Dar, leader of Pakistani American community said that the Government of India has refused the dialogue with both Pakistani and the Kashmiri leadership. It has chosen instead the brutal path of violent crackdown on all political dissent in Occupied Kashmir. In doing so, India is committing brutal acts of rape, torture and murder against thousands of innocent civilians.

Mr. Javaid Rathore, Chicago said, “The issue of Kashmir cannot be resolved bilaterally between India and Pakistan. 70 years of failed diplomacy has proven this. It needs the understanding of the world powers, particular the United States to persuade both India and Pakistan that it is in their long term national interest to achieve the settlement of the Kashmir dispute.”

Sardar Amerjit Singh Ji of Khalistan center, Washington said, “Each day that India injures more Kashmir’s and kills countless civilians, it strengthens the sentiments of Aazadi amongst the general populace and weakens those who still believe that a peaceful settlement should be and can be achieved.” The right of self-determination is the birth right of every single individual, be s/he a Hindu or a Muslim or Sikh.

Mr. Raja Muhammad Yaqub from Chicago said, “Indian army is engaged in serious human rights abuses in Kashmir and we believe that world powers need to know that the so-called ‘world’s most populous democracy’ is a grave offender of the most basic of human rights.’

Sardar Yasin Chohan, Chicago said, “The United Nations has an obligation and a responsibility to facilitate a dialogue amongst all parties to the conflict to secure peace and stability on the South Asian continent.”

Sardar Zarif Khan, Washington, D.C. said, “An impartial mediator needs to help initiate a process of negotiations without pre-conditions from any party. Without an international mediatory, the differences will forever keep the parties divided.”

Others who spoke include: Sardar Imtiaz Garalavi, Sardar Taj Khan, Choudhary Zahoor Akhtar, Qazi Mushtaq Ali, Choudhary Muhammad Ishaq, Mr. Aftab Shah, Sardar Zulfiqar Roshan Khan, Sardar Zubair Khan, Raja Liaqat Kiyani, Mr. Hamid Malik.

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    Dr. Fai Addressed a Forum of Journalists in Washington

    WASHINGTON, D.C. June 27, 2012 (APP): Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognized disputed territory and has never been an integral part of India, a veteran Kashmiri leader said.

    “I want to debunk this myth created by India that Kashmir is an integral part of India —- this is a matter of historical record that India occupied the region on October 27, 1947 when the very first Indian soldier set foot on the soil of Kashmir —- the highest diplomatic forums including the United Nations and the United States have recognized the disputed nature of the region,” Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai told a forum of journalists in Springfield, Virginia.

    The Kashmiri-American activist said in the post-9/11 world, New Delhi has tried to weave a smokescreen with some unfounded myths, which seek to discredit the genuine struggle of the people. But these ploys will never be able to cover up the reality and sufferings of people in the Occupied Kashmir, he added.

    “India has failingly tried to equate Kashmiri people with terrorists — how can a people, who believe in the UN-mandated right to self-determination and then hold demonstrations to go to the UN office in Srinagar to remind the international community of its pledge, be terrorists? Terrorists don’t believe in the UN system or any other global forum.

    “Also, how can an entire population of millions be dubbed as terrorists when they hold peaceful demonstrations for their promised rights?” he questioned.

    Dr. Fai also said that India would like you to believe that Kashmir is an issue of fundamentalism. He explained that “the term fundamentalism is quite inapplicable to the Kashmiri society. One of the proud distinctions of Kashmir has been the sustained tradition of tolerance and amity between the members of different religious communities. It has a long tradition of moderation and non-violence. Its culture does not generate extremism or fundamentalism. The fact is that Kashmir conflict was never a fight between Hindus and Muslims. It was never a struggle between theocracy and secularism. Nor was it a border dispute between India and Pakistan. It has always been about the hopes and future of 17 million people of Kashmir, be they Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs or Buddhists.”

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    Kashmiri American community vowed to continue the struggle for self-determination

     

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    Washington, D.C. June 5, 2012. The Kashmiri-American community in the Washington metropolitan area has vowed to continue their struggle for right to self-determination. At an impressive gathering at Bombay Tandoor, Tysons Corner, members of the community including academics, political activists and friends of Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai, pledged to carry forward his work during the period of his incarceration.

    Speaking on the occasion, Dr Fai said there is no restriction on him to continue his work for a universally acknowledged cause. He clarified to his well-wishers that the prosecution had withdrawn charges initially leveled against him to be the agent of a foreign government.

    Judge Liam O’Grady, while announcing the verdict for two-year imprisonment earlier this year, had made it clear that “it’s (sentencing) necessary, even though you have done some very moving things on behalf of the Kashmir people and that your cause is a wonderful cause,” Fai told the gathering.

    Dr. Fai urged the community members to continue to support the cause of Kashmir. He quoted again Judge O’Grady who said, “I sincerely hope that while you’re at a minimal security facility like Cumberland, that I see no reason why you can’t continue to advocate on behalf of the Kashmiri people and to write. I know that the KAC is dormant, I guess is the word for it at this stage, but there may be an opportunity to arrange conferences through other people in the future, and I hope that cause continues to be identified as an important international matter. And good luck to you.”

    “No solution to the 65‑year‑old Kashmir conflict that does not command a consensus among the 17 million Kashmiri people can endure, Dr. Fai stressed, just as no solution to East Timor held a chance of success until the East Timorese leadership was consulted and a referendum on independence from Indonesia was held.”

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    Dr. Fai Addressed a Forum of Journalists in Washington

    WASHINGTON, D.C. June 27, 2012 (APP): Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognized disputed territory and has never been an integral part of India, a veteran Kashmiri leader said.

    “I want to debunk this myth created by India that Kashmir is an integral part of India —- this is a matter of historical record that India occupied the region on October 27, 1947 when the very first Indian soldier set foot on the soil of Kashmir —- the highest diplomatic forums including the United Nations and the United States have recognized the disputed nature of the region,” Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai told a forum of journalists in Springfield, Virginia.

    The Kashmiri-American activist said in the post-9/11 world, New Delhi has tried to weave a smokescreen with some unfounded myths, which seek to discredit the genuine struggle of the people. But these ploys will never be able to cover up the reality and sufferings of people in the Occupied Kashmir, he added.

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    How I became Involved in the Cause of Kashmir at the international level

    I want to tell you a little story that touched my life in a very personal way in 1979. It is important to consider, I assure you, because of its historic significance, not only in having an impact in a very real way upon my own survival and the personal vision I came to adopt for the rest of my life, but how it came to shape the very destiny of Kashmir itself. My own life became inextricably linked just as intimately as a man and woman united in marriage. Each detail of this story is integral to understanding who I was then, who I am now, and the process that formed my calling and the rest of my life.
     
    I was in my late 20s then with a driving zeal, as is in every young man’s heart in Kashmir, to make a significant impact somewhere and somehow on life’s stage. At this particular time, I had been placed in charge of the international section of a major conference being held in the Capitol of Kashmir, Srinagar. I was inspired to invite a speaker of an international stature whose presence could be used to energize and internationalize the issue of Kashmir on the right of self-determination.